


Afterglow

by sophalie



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cyberpunk, Love/Hate, M/M, Out of Character, Soulmates, Superpowers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-02-25 03:28:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 108,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22229365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophalie/pseuds/sophalie
Summary: Cyberpunk future, year 2270. Zion City is split between three districts: Twenty-Ninth, Seventeenth and Eleventh, each accustomed to it's own denizens. More importantly, it is also split between regular people and those who had special abilities since birth. Isolated in the district Eleventh and forced to give up their supernatural powers, people were bound to rise up, all they needed was a good leader, and Justin Taylor became one. So he was noticed by Zion's higher-ups and is now persecuted by Lieutenant Brian Kinney, who also happens to be his soulmate.
Relationships: Brian Kinney/Justin Taylor (Queer as Folk)
Comments: 138
Kudos: 49





	1. Go and Catch a Falling Star

**Author's Note:**

> Um, hello. This is my first serious (kind of) attempt at writing generally anything in English. It could have been much, much more than it eventually became (I kinda bit more than I could chew), but this it is what it is. I did it mainly for myself. 
> 
> A few warnings: English is not my first language; probably typos, since there was no beta; B/J first meet each other (after the flashback) only in chapter 9.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First two chapters are flashbacks.

**District 17, 2267.**

Justin didn’t know it was possible, but the man looked even better in the flesh than in the visions. Tall, well-built figure. Untamed, seemed like intentionally messy chestnut hair. Strong arms hidden by a long-sleeved leather jacket; lean legs wrapped in a pair of tight black jeans.

Justin couldn’t wait to see his face. Peeking from around the corner he couldn’t make out much, but there was no better vantage point. Besides, at the moment he was way too scared to actually walk up to the man.

_One more minute,_ he told himself. He had one more minute. Bright green holographic watch on one of the billboards near the police station assured him of that. In a minute the man will walk in to the station, unless Justin stops him. 

Zion City at this time of morning was drenched in neon lights; in fact, they never dimmed. Justin could hear the noise of the Seventeenth district highway behind him, endless stream of cars passing by, headlights flashing. The street on the back of the station seemed desolated enough, though. Fortunately for Justin, the man was going to walk in from the back door instead of front. That alone seemed like a good enough reason to confront him today. 

Justin watched closely as the man took another drag of his electronic cigarette. Orange light flared and dulled out in a mere second, allowing Justin to see the strong jawline and the outline of the man’s profile.

He was definitely handsome. Much like in the visions, but way, way better.

October came with rains this year. In a nearby puddle Justin could discern the reflection of the same neon green watch backwards, counting seconds. His heart pounded somewhere in his throat as he stepped out of the shadows and towards the man. He pulled the collar of his heavyweight hoodie as high as he could to hide the bandage on his neck. 

If the man was truly Justin’s soulmate, he will end up knowing everything anyway. But just in case, Justin did not want to scare him away. 

Justin was six when they found out. His very first vision was actually pretty useless and only allowed him to see his grandfather’s poker hand at the family dinner. 

Excited, he ran into the room full of men, his dad included. Somehow, he knew that the vision was real, because it felt so; vivid and full of colors, it lasted for a whole half a minute, as if Justin himself stood behind his grandfather’s shoulder, observing the cards. 

Justin obviously couldn’t comprehend the way poker worked back then, but knew enough to pull on the sleeve of his dad’s sweater, mischievously whispering precious information. Instead of receiving a smile in response as he expected, Justin saw a stern look on his father’s face. 

And then he was dragged back to his room to be questioned, as if he did something nasty. 

Justin cried, his mom shouted, his dad hissed curses under his breath. That was all Justin could remember until the very moment they drove him to the police station to be “registered”. 

Justin was six when they shoved a needle under his skin to plant his very own Stub. _Just like everyone else has it, baby,_ his mother comforted in a soft whisper. A tiny chip designed to dull your powers, making them impossible to use. It was shining light blue, right there, under the skin of his neck. 

Justin was about to be seven when he and his mom moved from a prestigious townhouse in the Twenty-Ninth district to a tiny attic apartment in the Eleventh. 

His father stayed behind. 

Justin was (he still is, actually) seventeen when he cut his Stub from under his skin with a stationery knife and tossed it into a nearby river. That alone made him an outlaw, but he didn’t care. As he watched the chip being carried away by a cold stream of shiny neon water, hands pressed to his bleeding neck, Justin swore to never give up on who he was. Who he _is._

Ever since then Justin was haunted by the same visions of the same man, which eventually lead him right to this moment. Justin trusted himself and knew visions wouldn’t lie, so he had to take a chance and meet the man. Vision after vision, clue by clue, Justin managed to figure out how to find this place. 

Around this very corner he just stepped away from.

“Hey!” Justin managed to call as he approached the man rashly. 

Immediately after hearing Justin’s voice, the stranger cast his eyes right on him. As he did that, Justin’s heart nearly skipped a beat. His feelings were a mix: he was still mesmerized by how beautiful the man actually was, but also terrified under the sharp, hawk-like gaze of what it appeared to be hazel eyes, directed at him. 

The air was full of morning fog and it was shimmering, boiling, getting hotter and thicker the closer Justin was to the man. Each step he made he was more aware of it, and he knew the man must have felt it to. He had to feel it, there was no way around it.

Justin was right; the visions were right.

He stepped under the neon lamppost and halted right before the man. For a second Justin saw it: a glint of understanding in the determined look that the man gave him. He _felt_ it, just as Justin did. He _knew_ what it meant, just as Justin did. 

“Am I going to find out at any point what is this all about?” distracted by the low, raspy voice of the man Justin did not notice right away how cold and apathetic his tone was.

Confused, Justin just stood there. For some reason he thought that the man would realize everything just as quick as Justin did and his reaction would be different. All Justin wanted was to touch the man so they both are dead certain, but somehow, he knew better than that. 

“Well?” the man demanded, but a second after, his glance fell on Justin’s neck, picking up the very corner of the bandage visible from under the hoodie. “What the hell are you doing outside of the Eleventh?” the man took a short pause and gasped for air as he continued: “Actually, what the hell are you doing outside of anywhere without a Stub?”

That was exactly what Justin was afraid of, however, the man did not seem scared at all. He had no idea which kind of power it was that Justin possessed, yet he stood there, not a hint of fear in his voice or posture. Quite the opposite, actually: he came closer, towering over Justin, and snapped his fingers right before Justin’s face.

All Justin could think about (before he flinched at the snap, that was) was that the man must be at least six feet tall, if not even taller.

“I… I had to see you,” Justin faltered as he finally noticed it. 

A handgun holster and a holographic police badge on the man’s belt, barely visible before, but clearly shown now as the man raised his hand to snap his fingers. It had never occurred to Justin that the stranger might be a cop. And there he was, practically turning himself in, outside of his district with no Stub and a wound on his neck on top of that.

Soulmate or no, this was a horrifyingly stupid thing to do. The man might have cybernetics, or (worse) Hobbs’s equipment on him.

“Can’t blame you, I’m quite a sight,” the man quipped, noticing Justin’s obvious discomfort at the latest revelation. “Well, you saw me. Now what?”

“Don’t you feel it?” Justin finally raised his voice, getting slightly irritated by the man’s intentional indifference. He shot an upward glance at the man, holding eye contact this time, less afraid now. “This is why I’ve been looking for you.”

The neon green watch behind the man’s shoulder blinked to show exactly seven after midnight. The sky was getting lighter and people, hurrying to work, were now passing by more frequently. Justin thought that if he were to have one of his visions right now, it would trigger every single alarm in close proximity, and _then_ there will be no going back anymore.

“Even if I do, it changes nothing,” the man answered firmly, finally acknowledging that he and Justin were, in fact, soulmates. He leaned closer, lowering his voice. Justin could smell the musky scent of his cologne, mixed with a slight smell of the artificial cigarette smoke, and had to smother an instant desire to inhale deeper. “Listen, I have absolutely no idea as to why you’ve decided to find me and honestly, I can’t care any less. I also don’t want to waste half my morning on paperwork registering your ass, so I’m going to be really nice and not drag you to the station. I didn’t see you; you didn’t see me. One-time offer, kid. Now, why don’t you scamper off to your ghetto crib and never bother me again?”

“What do you mean?” Justin protested immediately, earning a few puzzled glances from some passers-by. He didn’t care, not now. “I’m risking everything to be here, to meet you. You feel that too, and I know you do. We are meant to be toge-”

“Cut it,” the man commanded as he made an obvious mistake: reached out to grab the thick fabric of Justin’s hoodie. He probably intended to drag Justin away, but instead his hand collided with Justin’s deflecting palm, causing them both to shiver and the man to stop whatever it was he was going to do. Skin to skin contact was intense like no other. Like nothing else Justin had ever experienced before. 

Why was he being denied? Justin watched as the man lost his composure for a mere second, confusion clearly visible on his beautiful face. In a moment, however, his stern and focused look returned.

“What are we going to do then?” Justin finally urged. He wanted his answer, although it seemed like he already had one. He was just too baffled to admit that his handsome soulmate was not about to embrace him.

“There _is_ no _we_!” the man snapped, narrowing his eyebrows. “Now back the fuck off. Last warning. I swear, any more bullshit and you’re coming with me to get your chip back and get tossed off at the Eleventh where you belong.”

Justin swallowed a hard, heavy lump in his throat. He felt numb. No vision predicted such an outcome for him, and now he was coming to terms with just turning around and walking away. He needed to hurry, in fact, since the amount of people on the streets was multiplying by the minute and the danger of somebody spotting him or him having a vision right here and now was growing too. 

“Can I at least know your name?” Justin asked hesitantly and saw the man scoff at his question. 

“As if it matt-”

“Brian!”

Both Justin and the man ( _Brian_ , Justin thought cherishing the newly learned name) turned towards the sharp impatient call. A much shorter, raven-haired man emerged from the morning fog, breathing heavily as if he was running to get here. Justin looked at him quickly, too distressed to focus, and soon met his wondering, confused glare. 

“Mikey,” Brian exclaimed, immediately wrapping his hand around the newcomer’s shoulders. “I was just about to go in.”

The man called Mikey did not lose his puzzled expression, reminding Justin a lot of a little child lost in the middle of a mall. He didn’t look even remotely like a policeman, but that seemed to be the case, judging by his holo-badge, very similar to Brian’s. Hot air escaped their lips as the three men stood there, silent for a moment. White clouds curled and melted away along with Justin’s hopes.

“Who is that?” Mikey wondered turning his head to face Brian. Of course, he meant Justin, so Justin himself felt uncomfortable instantly. 

As if it was even possible.

“No one,” Brian answered sternly, staring Justin down. “He is leaving, anyway.”

After everything Justin had been through on the way here and during his exchange with Brian, his fear seemed to disappear almost completely, despite the common sense. He smiled bitterly as he held Brian’s gaze.

“Justin. My name’s Justin Taylor."

Not expecting any response, he finally turned away and went on his way down to Eleventh district.


	2. The Little Boy Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can consider Daphne's and Cody's powers as a little nod to Max and Daniel from the Life is Strange series.

**District 11, 2268.**

“Justin!” the desperate scream seemed muffled behind the door, but the pounding on the steel surface was loud enough for Justin and his mother to freeze and exchange a couple of intense glances.

They were about to go to sleep just a moment ago. It didn’t seem like an option any longer.

“JUS-TIN!” this time the yell was easily the loudest Justin has ever been addressed with before, but with a slight relief he recognized it was Daphne screaming. That relief didn’t last long, however, since the fear in her voice was audible not only to Justin, but to Jennifer as well, and surely to a few of their closest neighbors. “Mrs. Taylor! Justin! Anyone!”

_Flash. A pool of blood right before his eyes, right beneath his feet; someone hitting the door in front of him. Number 47, Taylor’s apartment; ruby-red palmprints on the silvery gray surface._

“They’re in trouble,” Justin muttered under his breath, shaking his head in the aftermath of a vision, and a second later leaping towards the door. Jennifer Taylor hurried after her son, worry in her eyes. 

“Justin,” whimpered Daphne as Justin yanked the door open and froze dead on his tracks, his mother gasping in horror behind him.

The three of them were right on Justin’s doorstep: visibly quivering Hunter; red-eyed Daphne; and Cody, hanging on both of their shoulders as if he was a stuffed puppet. Justin’s gaze slid from Cody’s ghost-like pale face and down to his bleeding mess of a neck, and down to his worn off t-shirt, all soaked in blood. There was, in fact, so much blood, that it was now running down to the dirty floor, forming a whole puddle. 

“Get inside,” Justin said flatly, his heart dropping as he stepped aside to let them pass and saw Cody even closer. A single glance on the ragged gash oozing blood that covered what seemed like half of Cody’s neck gave Justin an instant realization as to what was going on.

“For the love of…” Jennifer shrieked. “What happened?”

She knew it, she must have. She just hasn’t figured it out yet.

“Not the time, mom,” Justin deflected in a low voice as Daphne and Hunter moved in unison trying to put Cody down on the couch, face up. “Get me a towel. Actually, as many as you can find.” Justin asked.

“H-he didn’t even warn us or anything,” Daphne cried while Jennifer made her way to their tiny kitchen, both women visibly shaken by what was going on. “We were just out walking, and…”

“Yeah, out walking, and this edgy sonofabitch pulls out a god damned knife on us,” Hunter cut in, still holding Cody’s neck with both of his hands in attempts to stop the blood. “Blabbering something about how he is done with the system or whatever the fuck and how you did it and lived, so he will too.”

“ _Christ_ , Cody,” Jennifer whispered in disbelief, handing Justin the towels.

“More like _holy fucking shit_ , Cody,” Hunter cursed back, still shocked. “And then he just fucking stabs himself and the next thing I know we are all covered in blood dragging him here.”

Justin felt a pinch of guilt at Hunter’s words: Cody did this because Justin did this, but did not end up as lucky. He forced himself to cast the feeling aside for the time being, stepping towards Cody that was now shivering in cold sweat, his chest heaving. He darted his eyes all around the room in confusion, as if he did not understand anything of what was going on.

“Hey,” Justin said softly, allowing Hunter to remove his blood-stained palms off of Cody’s neck, replacing them with Justin’s; pressing one of the towels as hard as he could. “I need you to calm down, okay?” he swallowed hard, turning his head towards his mother. “There is a first aid kit in the bathroom, it should have a laser in it, right? We’ll stitch him up.”

Jennifer had the kit on her already, and Justin was grateful for her thinking ahead. His mother always cared and stuck by him, even when he cut his own Stub out. And now, seeing her supportive attitude, Justin felt a little less scared.

“Disinfectant is also here,” Jennifer conversed in a shaky voice as she opened a little cube of a box with a shiny purple cross logo on it. “It’ll only take a moment, sweetheart.”

“I’ll be fine, Mrs. Taylor,” Cody gargled suddenly, causing Daphne to hiss in irritation. For a second Justin saw the corner of his lips jerk in a faint attempt to smile.

“Shush the hell up,” Daphne urged.

Accepting a first aid laser stick from his mother's hands, Justin realized that he had no idea how to suture at all. But it seemed he had no choice as everyone else in the room was somehow led by his actions, allowing him to decide what was going to be done next. Besides, in this day and age all he needed was to press a button. Or so he told himself.

Daphne rose to her feet only to kneel back down in a few seconds, this time with a disinfectant bottle in her hands. It was supposed to be sprayed out on a wound, but in a state of shock and in a hurry, Daphne just tore the cap right off and splashed the liquid all over Cody’s neck. It helped clear the blood out of the way for Justin to see better.

As Justin snapped out of his momentary state of catatonia and looked at a horrifying sight that was Cody’s injury, it hit him.

“He did manage to get it out, did he?” he asked, shooting a stare at Daphne to Hunter and back. He sighed trying to calm down as much as possible before finally saying: “I… I don’t want this all to be for nothing.”

Nobody had the time to answer before Cody made a weird half-swish, half-gargle sound, this time fully smiling. Having practically his whole face covered in blood, he looked morbidly sinister. It took Justin a whole second to realize he was attempting to laugh.

“Always asking… the right questions,” Cody croaked. That seemed to be about everything he had the strength for, so Daphne just nodded at Justin, soon followed by Hunter nodding as well.

“Okay,” Justin said readily, but before he could do anything, Cody looked him straight in the eye.

“Will I die?” he heaved, seeming like he was truly waiting for an answer. Everyone else stayed silent as Justin leaned towards Cody and adjusted his own body on the floor to get as comfortable as it was possible in his current conditions. “Will I?” Cody prompted.

Justin never had his visions on demand before and wasn’t expecting to start now, so he was genuinely surprised as he felt one nearing. He could hold them back a lot better now than a year ago, or even quash them completely, but never, ever summon them. 

He was accustomed to the feeling, though: the heavy lingering, a promise of something. Justin felt the back of his head tingle. _Flash. The four of them on some god forsaken field, surrounded by ramshackle buildings. Moon, real moon, not artificial like one that shines for all these snobs at Twenty-Ninth. Outskirts of Eleventh, where else? They’re laughing, they’re running; Cody lifts his hand, moving a nearby pile of stones up in the air without as much as touching them, earning a faint “holy cow” from Hunter._

The first thing Justin saw as his consciousness re-emerged after the vision was his mother subsiding into a chair as if her legs weren’t holding her anymore. Only then did he notice that nearly everything (including walls, partially) in their apartment was now stained in blood, some things more than others.

“No,” Justin knew not every vision was bound to be true, but Cody didn’t. He smiled faintly as he went on: “You won’t die. Your power is quite dope, actually.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Cody hissed in response. “They had me chipped when I was two.”

“You’re going to have so much fun,” Justin comforted before starting to suture. “Trust me.”

Justin finally activated the stick, feeling a slight assuring buzz of vibration from it. A holo-instruction popped up, prompting him to move the stick carefully along the whole length of the wound, allowing the device to measure the injury and later press the stick horizontally against the damaged skin tissue. Justin just followed the instructions in complete silence, and the hardest thing about it was the need to look at the gaping tear on Cody’s neck. The blood was still trickling when Justin removed the stick completely, but the sight of it was much better. Although bright red, the damaged skin was now holding together and Justin had no doubt that it will heal overtime.

“All done,” Justin exhaled with relief and finally felt himself relax. It was weird, but a moment before he couldn’t even realize how tense he actually was. “Going to have a hell of a scar, though.”

“Just like you,” Cody answered faintly. He wasn’t making any of the disturbing hissing or gargling sounds any longer, which was definitely a good sign. He actually sounded rather tired and somewhat drowsy instead.

“I’ll take it from here,” Jennifer whispered, afraid of bothering Cody who now seemed to be falling asleep. She rose from her chair and disappeared in the bathroom for a moment to later return with another wet towel. “I need to clean him up. You guys have some rest.”

“I’ll help,” Hunter volunteered while Justin and Daphne exchanged a couple of exhausted looks and went out to the tiny balcony to have some air.

Taylor’s windows were facing the Bazaar: a large, half-empty square which happened to be the center of Eleventh district. Beggars usually gathered there to sit through their day, it was also an accommodation for those rare shopkeepers who couldn’t afford trading in Seventeenth. Sometimes one could even spot some bold black-market traders there, although those preferred the outskirts after all. 

Justin was happy to finally inhale some fresh air and take some time for his thoughts to just drift around inside his head. No fear, no haste. He looked down at the Bazaar, completely desolated at this time of night. From the last floor of his building Justin could see the shiny skyscrapers up at Seventeenth. He could even make out the giant see-through dome that covered the whole Twenty-Ninth district, protecting its denizens from the unwanted weather changes. 

Endless curly strings of highways were going so far up, Justin had to lift his head to see them. Luminous, glistening, and very noisy, they were often the reason of his insomnia episodes. 

But now he just glanced at them, allowing the wind to play with his hair. He felt… calm. 

“Shit,” Daphne mumbled, distracting Justin from a brief moment of tranquility. He looked at her: hands shaking; she was trying to fish something up out of Hunter’s belt bag. In a second she succeeded and tossed the bag away, squeezing a cheap multiple use electronic cigarette between her blood-stained fingers. 

“You smoke?” Justin cocked an eyebrow at her, faint smile of surprise on his lips.

“It’s Hunter’s. But I do now,” Daphne shrugged and took her first drag. Hunter’s cigarette was flaring green instead of orange and for some reason that amused Justin. He could bet that Hunter set the non-traditional color just to be somewhat of a rebel. At anything. It was so like him. “You want?” Daphne asked, stretching her hand out to offer Justin the cigarette.

“Ah, what the hell,” Justin accepted the stick, shooting a quick glance behind his back to see if his mother was watching through the balcony window. He was eighteen now, but still did not want to upset her. All he managed to make out behind the glass was a couple of figures moving: his mom and Hunter, seemingly tending to Cody. 

Justin and Daphne stayed silent for a little while, passing the cigarette back and forth, watching the smoke curl and dissolve into the neon starless sky. Somehow, they both clicked and just got each other from the very moment they met as kids. Eleventh was never the safest place and if you wanted to play outside on the streets you had to have your own gang. So, they became one: eight-year-old Daphne and Justin met first, later joined the seven-year-old Cody and the last was Hunter. Being five-years-old, Hunter was the youngest one and didn’t seem to have any friends at all, so Justin, Daphne and Cody took him under their protection. 

“You’re good at that, you know,” Daphne said as she took another drag, eyeing the glistening dome in the distance. “The whole life saving thing.”

Justin chuckled in response, and that seemed to slightly upset her. 

“I mean it,” Daphne continued passionately. “I don’t know, Justin, you just… _care._ If there is anyone out there that can change anything about how the world works right now, my bet is that’s you.” She exhaled the smoke and turned to Justin; determination clearly visible in her eyes. “And we need to come up with a better way to do it.”

“Do what?” Justin queried with a puzzled expression. Somehow though, he knew what she meant, he just didn’t want to admit it.

“Cut the Stubs out,” Daphne replied. She sighed as if she was trying to gain composure and explained: “Because I want mine removed too. And I don’t want to kill myself in the process, so I figured… I want you to be the one who does it.”

Justin gasped for air as he was about to tell her off, but suddenly heard someone approaching behind their backs. Closing the balcony door carefully, Hunter eyed both Daphne and Justin.

“I’m game,” he said simply.

Justin glanced at both of their Stubs: shiny baby blue lights clearly visible under their skin, blinking. There was no way in hell he could do that, that meant taking the responsibility not only for his own power, but for both of theirs, too. Not to mention if anyone outside of the Eleventh were to see them it would mean possible prison.

“No,” Justin frowned, turning away to face the highways once again. “This is too dangerous.”

“Come on, man,” Hunter appealed in disappointment as Justin felt him moving closer. “I don’t even remember what my power was. I was three, for fuck’s sake.”

“If they had you chipped so early, it was probably something offensive,” Daphne suggested. “Something you could’ve used without thinking, as a child. And visible to others.”

“Cool,” Hunter’s gasp was quickly diluted in silence. 

As they were standing at the balcony, each consumed by their own thoughts, an elephant in the room couldn’t help but appear. Justin was about to voice it, temporarily distracted from actually thinking over his friend’s suggestion; but ended up overtaken by Hunter.

“What was yours, anyway?” Hunter asked impatiently, turning to Daphne.

Justin leaned on the balcony railing, turning his body towards Daphne to face her. She seemed somewhat distressed, but clearly didn’t want to let it on. As she took another drag, a frown on her face softened.

“I could sort of… turn back time,” Daphne finally replied, exhaling more smoke. Catching a couple of shocked glances from her friends she corrected: “It’s not like I could go back to two thousands or anything. Just… if I happened to fuck up at something all I needed was to concentrate a little to get like… ten or so minutes back. The longest I ever went back was half an hour. It wasn’t endless, though. When I tried doing it multiple times in a row, I got… tired. That’s how I got caught.”

Justin wanted to hear more, but at the same time he understood that if Daphne were to tell him anything further, that would mean he is at the very least sympathetic and wouldn’t mind helping her. So he stayed silent, despite being interested.

“That sounds fucking amazing, dude!” Hunter exclaimed. “I’d want that back too. Hell, if Justin doesn’t want to help you, I will.” He turned to Justin with an excited expression. “What is Cody’s?”

“Seemed like telekinesis to me,” Justin muttered reluctantly. At this point he was already aware of it: they were standing on the verge of something, a decision has already been made and something will be done regardless of his wishes. Surprised, he felt for a second like he truly wanted to be a part of it. 

“God damn it, even better!” Hunter yelled and Justin couldn’t help but to roll his eyes. 

It started to rain. Water drizzle sprinkled in the sea of neon lights as the three of them continued to stand at the balcony, silent. Justin was used to coming here alone each of those nights when he couldn’t sleep. He would go out and just glance at the buildings of the Seventeenth district in the distance, thinking. 

Was Brian somewhere out there, longing for him the same way Justin did? With half the population crammed up at the Eleventh, chipped and left to their own devices, soulmates that actually managed to find one another were a rarity. And soulmates that belonged to two separate districts were a tragedy. 

If it were not for Justin’s visions, the both of them would probably never have met. Maybe it would have been better this way, since every day Justin felt the same intense longing, at least for several minutes. It wasn’t hard to cast aside, smother and forget, so he did just that and turned his attention back to his friends. He anticipated the feeling becoming something stronger in future, though.

But it wasn’t important for now. Justin remembered the way Brian looked at him, as if he was a second-class citizen, as if he was a fool to even think they could be together at all. Just because he saw the bandage and managed to figure out what district Justin was from. He wondered how many people like Brian were out there in Zion, openly despising them and treating them like vermin. 

If his friends had power over those people and wanted to use it, who was Justin to deny them that?

“I’ll do it,” Justin said finally, and surprisingly felt liberated.

He heard a _“hell yeah”_ from Hunter behind his back while Daphne just gave him both reassuring and grateful kind of smile. 

They continued to peer into the shimmering neon night before them, thinking over the future they were about to build for themselves.


	3. Almost the End of the World

**District 29, 2270.**

_“This_ has to stop!” Hobbs demanded in a low snarl, smashing both of his opened palms flat on the mayor Jim Stockwell’s table. He was now hovering over the mayor with an impatient expression.

“Get a hold of yourself, Christopher,” Jim warned, scowling at the younger man. He rose to his feet not to let Hobbs stare down on him. “What happened is concerning, however, it doesn’t mean that-”

 _“They_ trashed _my_ store!” Hobbs bellowed. “To _pieces_ , Jim!”

“It’s _Mayor Stockwell_ to you, boy. And you have other stores! The whole district _is_ your store!” Stockwell barked, finally snapping. “I will contact chief Carl Horvath so that the Twenty-Ninth police department can investigate. He will get his best men on your case. Now quit wailing, for heaven’s sake.”

Stockwell knew Christopher from ever since Hobbs was nothing but a screeching infant, wrapped up in blankets. Hobbs Senior, his father, used to be well acquainted with the Mayor, but died of a heart attack two years ago. That left twenty-three-year-old Chris an only heir to a whole empire built by generations. An empire that coexisted with Zion City’s system in a near perfect duality: Hobbs Enterprises was the largest, best known company to invent and produce top-notch alarms and anti-abilities equipment. They practically monopolized the market a decade ago, aligning with Craig Taylor of Taylor Cybernetics and starting to supply the government and Zion’s police with the best kind of Stubs one could find, later rising a standard so high it became the _only_ kind of Stubs one could find.

Stockwell eyed an ironic image with a faint smirk: flushed from yelling, still breathing heavily, Chris stood in the middle of mayor’s office and behind him was a window. Through the glass right above Hobbs’s shoulder Jim could see a glistening holo-billboard with Chris’s very face on it. The real Christopher, however, with his watery grey eyes and a dirty blond hair had nothing on the advert Christopher. Wearing his best suit that fit him perfectly, hair combed back, Hobbs from the billboard stared it seemed like right into Stockwell’s eyes with a self-confident smile. 

_Hobbs Enterprises: smart is the best superpower_ , it said in bold letters. Jim had to give it to the young man: he seemed hot-headed and overall ignorant to people who knew him close, but could appear equally gallant, bright and a delight to be around to the general public. And he did have an image to uphold. 

“Call this Carl Harvey or whoever of yours,” Hobbs hissed, gesturing with his index finger. “And have it sorted, Jim. Because hell knows I’m not having another store destroyed and these lunatics do not seem to be about to stop, either.”

If Jim were to be completely fair with himself, he did not perceive a bunch of ghetto kids as a threat. Yes, they cut their Stubs out and had their moment of glory, but as soon as the media attention dies down, they will crawl back to Eleventh, scared of the police. And Stockwell will have it on their tracks, at least to daunt them. Later, if the Seventeenth district law enforcement wants to force their Stubs back, they can arrange it themselves. 

Mayor Jim Stockwell was way too important to hunt the little fish.

“This Taylor kid,” Stockwell stepped towards the bar to pour himself a shot of scotch. “You know him, don’t you?”

Before picking up the glass, Jim clapped his hands to turn on the holovision. A recently discovered tape immediately came to life right in the middle of Jim’s office: four people in their twenties, having what it seemed to be the time of their life ruining the precious, expensive technical equipment. Laughing, shouting something to each other. 

“Only a little,” Chris admitted reluctantly, flinching at the sight of his own store being vandalized. “Our fathers used to be friends. I’ve met him a couple of times before everyone found out he’s a repdigit. What a fucking disgrace for Craig.”

_A repdigit_ , Jim scoffed. _A short-dozen_. Old, customary slurs for someone who came from or lived at the Eleventh. Stockwell was sure they had one for each district, yet the Eleventh was a ghetto, so he was used to hearing these ones more often. 

“I’ll send the tape over to chief Horvath, let his men take a look,” Jim finally said, sipping his scotch. “I suggest that you go, Christopher. I have no more time for this.”

“I don’t need them to take a look. I need them to find the vermin. I’ll make sure of that myself if you are not interested,” Chris’s eyes glistened menacingly. “And you see to it that this shit doesn’t happen again,” he snarled as he left the mayor’s office.

Jim ran his fingers though his gray hair tiredly and was pleased to hear the automatic doors slide shut behind Hobbs.

**District 17, 2270.**

“So, apparently, they cut out their Stubs themselves and apparently, it is now a common practice,” Michael uttered rapidly while trying his best to keep up with much taller, long-legged Brian as they passed the never-ending corridors of the Seventeenth’s district police station. “The Mayor is also involved, and everything is a complete mess. I haven’t seen the holo-tape, though. Come to think of it, I barely know anything about the case…”

“Well, we’ve finally made it big, sarge,” Brian drawled nonchalantly, but in a second changed his expression to a more serious one. “Horvath said we will get acquainted with the case once we’re in Twenty-Ninth. Hobbs Junior has been pissed off to no end and drove Stockwell insane, so our dearest government will even finance our whole transfer, apartments under the Dome included.”

They were nodding at some of the colleagues as they paced through the busy station. Tall and graceful, Brian moved swiftly with his usual confidence, all the while Michael minced behind him, bumping into coffee-carrier robots at every turn. 

“I don’t get it,” finally puzzled Michael. “Isn’t he overreacting a bit? A bunch of short-dozens had some fun. It was just one attack.”

“One too many to him,” Brian shrugged. He was not about to question his long-awaited opportunity to leave Seventeenth and his past life behind. He had been working to make this happen for way too long now. If Zion’s system was good for something, that’d be the life in Twenty-Ninth. 

“Why didn’t he get some Dome cops?” Michael kept at it, and Brian was starting to get just a little bit irritated at his ever-self-doubting friend. “Why us?”

“Chief Horvath says we’re the best,” Brian pressed his microchipped wrist to an ID reader with a small beep as they exited the station and entered the main hall. A moment after he heard the second beep behind him as Michael followed. “And I say he’s damn right.”

“So, we’re like… moving?” Michael slowed his pace a little and tugged on Brian’s shoulder, causing them both to halt. “Holy crap, Brian. Never thought I’ll be the one to live under the Dome.”

“Told you we’ve made it big,” Brian grinned, looking at his old-time friend softly. “I’ve got my business wrapped up here already. If you need to say your goodbyes, do it now and I’ll wait in the car.”

Michael gave him one of the usual puppy-eyed stares as they stood in the middle of the hall. Brian knew that Michael was perfectly aware of being the only person of any significance to him, and that was exactly the reason why Brian himself did not have anyone he’d want to say a goodbye to at the station.

“I’m proud of you, LT,” Michael said sincerely and stood on his tiptoes as he wrapped both of his arms around Brian’s neck in a warm hug.

For a second Brian wanted to push him away and laugh it off, but quickly cast that urge aside as he understood that Michael was having a candid moment and genuinely wanted to express his feelings. After all, Brian never really cared about what other people thought in regards to PDA, especially when it came to Michael, so he squeezed his friend tightly in his arms, giving him a gentle kiss on the ear. 

“Should be proud of yourself, too,” he said in a soft whisper and promptly let Michael go, his voice coming back to its normal pitch. “Now hurry the fuck up.”

Michael nodded several times with a wide child-like smile on his face before turning around and making his way back to the station. Unlike Brian, who’ve been waiting on this opportunity for what it seemed like forever; practically his entire career, Michael did not appear to be ready at all, despite the excitement. 

The department’s parking lot was almost eerily empty at this time of day. Brian turned up the collar of his leather jacket as he shivered in the piercing wind. Soon he won’t even need to care about ever being cold or uncomfortable at the weather. That thought alone somehow warmed him up.

“Lieutenant Kinney,” stated a soft artificial female voice as he pressed his wrist to another ID reader at the garage gates. “Your vehicle is being prepared. ETA: thirty seconds. Please, enter the garage, section C.”

Brian walked in to the spacious, shadowy building; no one from the station seemed to be inside. Footsteps echoing, he reached the section C, his car already waiting for him. It was Brian’s personal vehicle, although he was free to use any of the take-home ones from the police at any time. Freshly washed and glistening in the dim garage lights, the sleek black car was simply a pleasant sight for Brian, especially considering the amount of money spent on it. Image meant a whole lot to him, Seventeenth district cop or not.

“State your destination, lieutenant Kinney,” same assistant asked after Brian got into the car, inhaling the dry leather-scented air. Artificial intelligence in the department’s garage and parking lot was shared among all the personnel cars to avoid any software conflicts. 

“I’ll drive,” Brian replied, always preferring control when it came to driving, even when he had a sleepless night at work beforehand and had to get back home.

“Affirmative,” the AI in the car acknowledged right before Brian heard the same voice, now through the garage speakers: “Sergeant Novotny. Do you require a vehicle?”

“Nah, I’m with Brian,” Michael brushed off, crossing the empty garage space in a slight hurry.

“Affirmative,” repeated the AI. “Have a safe trip.”

“Ready?” Brian raised an eyebrow at Michael as his friend sank into the passenger seat beside him. 

A nod in response was all he needed to start the car and finally get on his way out of this damned district. Middle grounds were never a Brian’s thing and his goals were clear to him from the very day he started off as a beat cop right after his graduation. It was go big or go home. It was a life under the Dome or nothing.

**Zion’s outskirts, 2270.**

“I still can’t believe we did this!” Cody exclaimed, the trill of their last night’s outing glistening in his blue eyes. “Now Hobbs knows where we think he can shove his damned tech.”

“You bet, man!” Hunter echoed as the four of them entered their usual training grounds, climbing over the rusty fence.

The field they were in now was the very same one Justin saw in his vision two years ago. Devoid of any infrastructure whatsoever, it served as a perfect place to train their powers.

Daphne and Justin just followed their friends silently, each lost in their own thoughts. Justin could still barely fathom how in the world did Cody and Hunter make them agree to it, but somewhere deep inside he was elated, too. He hated the government, he hated Hobbs, he hated his father. Yet, doing what they did last night was probably very stupid, not to mention his mother still did not know about it. During the past two years Jennifer and Justin were growing more and more distant, since Justin moved into his own dump of an apartment, trying to make ends meet while working as a waiter in one of the Bazaar’s hash houses. 

And last night, he wrecked so much expensive equipment it would probably last him a lifetime if he were to steal and sell it on the black market.

It ended up being even easier than they thought. With Hunter teleporting ahead to scout; Cody smashing away every physical obstacle they faced; and Daphne tending to the damage afterwards, turning back the time, they managed to get out of the Eleventh undetected. Justin would try and prompt a vision every now and again to warn them of any oncoming danger or tell more about what awaits. The visions were still random and some did not show much, but even without them, he was easily the most collected one of the four, leading and instructing the rest.

All of their powers combined worked like a _“fucking charm”_ (if Justin were to quote Hunter, that is). And the thrill of success almost made them oblivious to any consequences. After all, they did smash _everything_ , including every single camera in the store. Cody had the most fun: merely gesturing his hands he broke the windows, shattering the glass into shimmering dust. As it glistened in the neon lights on the pavement, they ran in; alarm sirens wailing. 

They dealt more than enough damage before the first police dispatch arrived and retreated the same way they reached the store. They couldn’t sleep being as excited as they were, so they just spent the whole night at Justin’s, watching old holo-movies, but paying to attention to them. 

Cody seemed to get off on danger more than anyone, chattering all about what are they going to do next as a newly formed gang. Hunter took after him, being the youngest and most impressionable; and Daphne was just pissed at the government ever since Cody nearly died two years ago, so she didn’t even appear that regretful.

All Justin could think about was Brian. The longing did become more severe just as he expected, and Justin was used to spending most of his nights imagining what he would do if they both were to meet now. After all, Justin was a man now: his once short blond hair grew into long messy locks, his eyes were now wiser, his body was now stronger. 

Would Brian want him now?

“You’re quiet,” Daphne noticed as she watched Cody and Hunter in the distance. They were trying to determine who would reach a picked destination faster: running Cody or teleporting Hunter. “Thinking about _him_?” she suggested.

Daphne was still the only soul in the world Justin dared to tell the story about meeting Brian and her question now was the very first time she tried to raise that topic by herself instead of allowing Justin to share whenever he wanted to. Justin was grateful for that.

“Yeah,” he admitted simply, eyeing his own feet. 

“I still can’t imagine how it must be,” Daphne continued, turning her head towards Justin to give him a sympathetic look. “You know, without him.”

“Well, you have not met your soulmate yet,” Justin returned a wistful smile to her. 

“I’d probably squeal if I were to meet mine,” Daphne said with a dreamy grin. “Did you squeal?” she darted her eyes back at Justin.

“Something like that,” Justin chuckled bitterly, hands buried deep in his pockets. “Internally.”

“How was he?” wondered Daphne, and quickly added: “I mean I know he shot you down, but you never really told me how he looked or anything.” 

“Beautiful,” Justin immediately replied. “And ruthless.”

Somehow, that was enough for Daphne to nod in understanding and put her comforting hand on Justin’s shoulder. Talking about Brian actually distracted Justin from way scarier thoughts and he almost managed to forget all about the Hobbs’s store. 

“He’s a cop, though,” Daphne said quietly. “Isn’t it… dangerous?”

Justin knew exactly what it was that Daphne was trying to imply. Even with soulmates being such a rarity nowadays, people still knew a lot of common facts about them. You long for each other when you’re apart ever since the moment you meet; when you meet, you know instantly what you are to each other. You understand each other like no one else does ( _if you give each other a chance_ , Justin sulked to himself). Any physical contact feels drastically different from anything else you have ever known, it’s impossible to forget. 

And you die when your soulmate dies.

“I guess,” Justin mused in response as he stopped completely at the middle of the field. “I guess it’s equally as dangerous as being a self-professed leader of an outlaw repdigit gang.”

It was a lot to take in in one sentence, so Justin just stood there for a moment. He wasn’t sure he could tell which of the words seemed harder to acknowledge. A leader sounded truly scary, but Daphne seemed to care about the other of the three.

“A _repdigit_ , Justin?” she raised her voice, yet smiling with a corner of her mouth. “Don’t you ever call yourself _or myself_ that.”

“You don’t mind the leader part, then?” he grinned, cocking his eyebrow at her. He was sure the joke was still going on, but Daphne’s expression suddenly became sterner.

“You are one,” she responded quietly.

She seemed like she wanted to say more, but a loud _“for fuck’s sake”_ distracted them both. While their eyes were still focused on Cody running towards them in the distance, Hunter appeared right behind their backs.

“Fuck, man,” he gasped. “There is something you have to see, like, _now_.”

He pulled a cheap shabby holo-screen out of his pocket; Justin remembered him buying it off of a shady trader at the Bazaar. All it could do was to show a few pre-downloaded holo-movies and some of the government news channels. And now it was doing just that: broadcasting the latest news, specifically a tape of four of them at the store, smashing, breaking, ruining the equipment. 

“No,” Daphne shook her head in disbelief and muttered. “What are we going to do now?”

“Seems like they had an extra camera or something,” Cody heaved as he finally reached them. “If they have the tape and the police is on it, they have our ID files. They know who we are.”

All three of them glared at Justin with the same look on their faces: a determined, awaiting expression, as if he was the only one who could decide what was it that they were doing next. Justin himself though had no idea. He never planned for what they did last night to become a start of something bigger, but it seemed like it already had.

As scared as Justin felt, he was still eager and, to his own surprise, ready.

“We lay low for now to prepare. We can’t get caught,” he explained, giving each one of his friends a reassuring glance. “And when we figure out a plan to face them, we... face them.”


	4. We Wear the Mask

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As far as I recall, Cynthia did not get to have a last name in the series, so I just took the liberty of giving her the same one of an actress she is portrayed by. 
> 
> Thank you for reading :)

**District 29, 2270.**

“Congratulations, Lieutenant Kinney,” a tall, thin, blond (and all the rest that comes with being conventionally beautiful) woman said, tapping on the chip in her wrist lightly to remove a holographic scanner on her palm. “When it comes to human health, I name you a perfect specimen.”

Cynthia Moore, her badge said in bold letters. If Brian were to squint, he’d have seen that right below her name it also said that Cynthia is, in fact, a Twenty-Ninth district’s police very own cybernetics implantation and assimilation doctor. 

“Thank you,” Brian replied drily, putting his black button-up shirt back on. 

Now, when he and Michael were about to move districts, a health and cybernetics checkup was required. Cybernetics were produced widely, yet officially only available to the police and other emergency services. It was possible to fish some up on the black market, but without someone like Cynthia to help implant them one would most likely risk their life. Brian had the usual cop package installed back when he was promoted to a sergeant: a palm holo-panel that allows you to scan for DNA (much like Cynthia’s, but different functions) and an infra-red eye lens. 

Brian’s most favorite thing about being a police officer was the power that came with it; and Brian’s most loathed thing about being a police officer were the yearly health checkups. White walls and scanner beeps were some of the very few things in the world that gave him anxiety. He eyed the medical office impatiently: of course, most of it was white; bright lights and squeaky-clean surfaces. 

“Your cybernetics are in good shape as well,” Cynthia continued as she picked up a large pad off of her table, scrolling through what Brian assumed was his blood test results. “Unless there is something else on your agenda for becoming a Twenty-Ninth district’s police officer, allow me to be the first one to officially welcome you under the Dome.”

“You’re awfully nice,” Brian smirked, leaning his back against the doctor’s office wall, his arms crossed on his chest. There was something that Cynthia was not telling him and he sensed that she was about to. “What is it, Doc?”

She put the tablet back down and smiled curtly at Brian before saying: “Since when are you on the shots?”

Oh, she _was_ good. No Seventeenth’s doctors could ever tell Brian was shooting up, not even after blood tests, so he did not assume she would find out either. He bit the inside of his cheek, contemplating if he should lie or tell her the truth; if he should be sincere or defensive. 

“For about a year,” he finally said, looking her straight in the eye. At the end of the day, if she managed to figure the truth, she deserved a genuine answer. “That a problem?”

“Not a legal one, I have already welcomed you to the district after all,” Cynthia clarified immediately. “Yet, the only reason these shots are not illegal is that they’re still in development, so no laws regarding them even exist. The substance doesn’t even have a name.”

Brian watched as the woman turned away from him to cross the room and take a seat behind her desk. If he were straight, he would have definitely taken his chances hitting on her, but that wasn’t the case. So, the only thing he felt now was slight irritation at the fact that now he had to explain himself to her.

“They call it _Drop_ where I get it,” Brian chuckled, eyeing the opposite wall vacantly. “Because it’s liquid, and because those who take it want to drop someone. Ain’t it smart,” his last words were more of a sarcastic statement than a question.

“Pretty clever,” Cynthia agreed with a little shrug and was quick to state: “Not just someone, Lieutenant. The shots dull the longing you have for your soulmate. I guess we both know that.”

“That we do,” Brian confirmed with a heavy sigh.

“What you should also know at this point, since you have been taking this for a year, is they have side effects,” Cynthia rose back to her feet, holding the tablet in her hand again. She read from it as she scrolled: “Insomnia, short attention span, anger issues, troubles concentrating. Familiar?” She raised her eyebrows as she shot a quick glance at Brian. “Although not illegal, this can drastically affect your professional performance. I don’t want to seem intrusive, Lieutenant, but… is it really worth it?”

Brian could recall being a little impatient, maybe hot-headed at times, but always considered it his natural quality. All the sleepless nights he spent clicking through the holovision channels were surely a result of work stress.

What Cynthia would never understand was the fact that even if Brian were to experience the whole list of side effects to their full capacity, it would still beat his insane, unbearable longing for Justin Taylor. He kept thinking about him, he kept wishing that their meeting would have turned out different, he felt like a god damned rejected damsel at times and he wasn’t even the one who got rejected. He was not accustomed to feeling anything like this ever before, he always enjoyed his independence when it came to any attachments. You meet someone, you have a good time, you’re out. That was just how he operated.

When he started dreaming Justin, Brian realized this _had_ to stop. _This_ was what could affect his _professional performance._ And this also was the moment when being a man of power, a cop for example, really came in handy. After all, a civilian would have never gotten the stuff, at least not as easily as Brian did.

In any event, white walls were starting to give him a headache, and Cynthia was starting to get more and more irritating by the second. Brian straightened his shoulders, pushing away from the wall and made a few steps towards the woman.

“Well, I don’t want to seem impolite, Doctor,” he said softly, yet with a slight distaste. “But is it really your business?”

It appeared Cynthia was more than he initially gave her credit for: she held the eye contact without a blink and even managed a brief smile after.

“You are only proving my point, Lieutenant Kinney,” she responded, not a hint of frustration or anger in her eyes. “I recommend you sort it out. The sooner the better.”

Brian knew she was right, and yet it only made him madder. He also knew that somehow this woman was expressing genuine concern for him, although he couldn’t help but wonder why. Any doctor in Seventeenth would have just brushed it off and released him, since nothing strictly illegal was in the picture.

Brian turned to the door with a blank expression, still feeling Cynthia’s sharp look somewhere between his shoulder blades.

“Thanks for the advice,” he taunted, saving the last word to himself, and finally left the office.

Twenty-Ninth district’s police department looked like absolutely nothing else Brian had ever seen before; both on the inside and outside. It was located at the very heart of the district: The Trinity. Three what it seemed like infinite towers stood beside one another to form a triangle: Veracity, Liberty, and Serenity. Shining, glistening, reflecting the artificial starlight, they seemed to pierce into the very top of the Doom above. And uniting them was the police station: clover-shaped building was encircling all three towers, placed right in the middle of them, high above the ground. 

Veracity was the tallest of all, containing mostly business offices and the Mayor’s headquarters. Liberty was easily the shiniest: malls, holo-cinema, café’s and all forms of entertainment one could imagine. Serenity was the smallest, and some part of it was built underground for the fanciest and most expensive night clubs in the city. Overall, the Trinity represented Zion’s motto which could not have been further from the truth, at least to Brian’s taste.

Except, he never really cared. 

He dropped in to reprogram his wrist microchip to fit this station’s ID readers and was finally on the way to his office which he shared with Michael. They had to review the tape once again and then interview Craig Taylor. Knowing Justin’s psychological profile would be useful and Taylor Senior might just share something about that. Finding Justin, or anyone else from the tape for that matter, didn’t appear to be an easy task: first day search of the Eleventh gave them nothing. Constant surveillance was no help either. Brian assumed the newly formed gang must have found a location they’ve settled in. 

Sometimes Brian wondered if being apart from Justin Taylor was so agonizing, what would meeting him do. Eventually, it was bound to happen, if Brian wanted to uphold his reputation under the Dome. And he certainly did. 

So, he just supplied with as many shots as he could buy without raising any suspicions and decided to find out.

“Hey,” Michael stopped the holo-tape with a gentle clap of his palms and turned to Brian. “You’ve missed Horvath. How was your checkup?”

“Doctor Moore lives up to her qualification,” Brian sighed, sitting on the very edge of his yet empty working desk. “She found out. Other than that, peachy.” He shrugged, giving Michael a nonchalant expression.

“No way, Brian,” Michael muttered as he left his seat behind the desk to approach Brian. “First Justin in the store and now this…” he gave Brian a long and deep sad frown look that Brian himself knew so well. “Is she going to tell anyone?”

“Don’t think so,” Brian replied quietly, regretting that he ever told Michael anything in the first place. He hated to see these eyes full of concern, especially since Michael always overreacted at practically anything that had to do with Brian’s wellbeing. “What did Horvath say?”

“Nothing about the case, just wanted to welcome us,” Michael quickly responded and put his hands on Brian’s shoulders, now standing directly in front of him. “This sucks, Brian. And I don’t just mean Cynthia finding out. With Justin Taylor out here, doing hell knows what…”

“Mikey, listen-”

“If he does something stupid, if they kill him… You will, you…”

“Mikey-”

“If Hobbs gets to him… And we’re the ones that are supposed to make it happen!”

“For fuck’s sake, Michael!” Brian snapped at last, grabbing his friend by the shoulders and shaking him slightly. When he finally got Michael’s attention, Brian managed to quickly calm down and lowered his voice. “Spare me this shit. You think I haven’t told myself that?” 

“I just don’t understand how are we supposed to make this all work without you risking your life,” Michael confessed and hung his head, now staring at their shoes intensely. Something told Brian his friend was on the verge of tears.

“Listen to me, Michael,” Brian leaned down towards Michael, still holding his shoulders tightly; now he was the one frowning. He shook Michael yet again, finally getting him to look up. “Are you listening?” Brian waited patiently for a reluctant nod before continuing. “I’m a big boy, alright? I will figure it out. I’m not about to die, Justin Taylor or not. Besides, all he’s looking at right now is a prison sentence, which I’ll gladly deliver. Once he’s locked up, what is there left to worry about?” 

Not that Brian believed himself in what he was trying to convince Michael of, but it seemed to work regardless. Michael’s face brightened as Brian mocked: “We can even arrange weekly visits for aunty Michael to check up on little Justin.”

“Fuck off,” Michael laughed, pushing Brian away. In a few seconds and one awkward hug later, they were able to return to the tape.

Brian had seen it at least a dozen times before, but it was important so that they wouldn’t miss a thing. He clapped his hands, starting the tape from where Michael left it off, and stared at it yet again, trying to pick up something that he might have not noticed earlier. The ID files of all four people present in the tape were also before him.

The angry stocky man with a buzzcut appeared to be Cody Bell. It was hard to make out his face on the tape, yet Brian somehow knew there was clear enjoyment written all over it. Brian easily determined that most of the damage came from him, despite that all the man did was waved his hands around. Telekinesis, his ID file stated. Brian didn’t want to lie to himself, so he admitted that the way Cody was gesturing looked… graceful. Or powerful, maybe, considering all the wreckage it was causing. In the picture on his ID file Cody was sixteen, staring at the lens scornfully with determination distinctly visible in his clear grayish-blue eyes. Now, according to his date of birth on the file, he was nineteen. He was handsome, Brian thought. He could be admired the same way one would admire a storm or a hurricane in its full power. He was probably the strength of the group, considering his ability. Dropped at the Eleventh’s orphanage at two years old, he never got to meet his parents, and this was probably where all the anger came from. 

A gnarly teen teleporting all over the place with a baseball bat in hand was named James Hunter Montgomery. The sound could barely be picked up on the footage, since it was an emergency camera, but the rest of the gang seemed to address him as Hunter, which Brian managed to lip read. Hunter being seventeen made him the youngest, with long mousy hair and flashy lips, twisted in a mischievous grin most of the time. He was also an orphan legally, yet he had a mother written in to the file (unlike Cody): Rita Montgomery. Brian remembered the name just in case they would need to question the woman.

The only girl in the group did not display any of her powers for the whole duration of the tape and for the most part seemed a little absentminded. Her name was Daphne Chanders and she appeared to be the most cautious one, constantly glaring at her wrist where the watch would be if Brian could discern them on the tape. Her power listed in the ID file was simply described as “time altering”, and the picture showed a dark-skinned fuzzy-haired teenager with chocolate brown eyes, looking a little shyly in the lens. Being twenty now, Daphne seemed bolder. She was occasionally knocking down the equipment displayed in the store, but staying in close proximity to Justin Taylor at all times. 

_Justin Taylor._ Brian didn’t even glance at his ID picture, eyes fixed on the tape, studying, absorbing, ingesting. Brian felt something very close to what he could only describe as hunger when he stared at him intently. Justin now didn’t look like anything Brian had remembered. The awkward short-haired teenager was gone, now replaced by a stately, yet still graceful man: long locks of light, golden hair, fair skin, pouty doll-like lips and what it seemed like the bluest kind of eyes. Brian pointed out him being noticeably calmer than all the rest from the group, sometimes putting his long-fingered palm on Cody’s shoulder as if to direct him. The other man appeared to comply unreservedly in the matter of seconds, and Brian couldn’t help but wonder if the both of them were involved. 

Something inside Brian, somewhere under his ribs, deep inside his chest, seemed to resent that. The feeling immediately made him want to shoot up once more, although the last portion of the drug was only taken this morning.

“Whose idea do you think it was?” Michael nodded his chin towards the figures at the holo-tape and turned to Brian. “Wherever place they are hiding now the same person must have come up with. At least I think so.”

“I’d say the buzzcut,” Brian suggested, looking through Cody’s file. “Seems to be the most aggressive.”

“Makes sense,” Michael agreed. “And he is also leading them then, which means we have to investigate him more.”

“No,” Brian immediately corrected, shooting a glare from the file and at Michael. “The pretty one’s the leader. Just look at him directing everyone.”

“The _pretty one?_ I take it you are referring to Taylor,” Michael scoffed as he stopped the tape once again. “Fine. I trust you, and we were about to question his father today anyway.”

“Better get to it,” Brian said with a grim expression, picking up his leather jacket from the back of the chair before he swiftly rose to his feet. This whole investigation was starting to make him uneasy, since there was absolutely no escape from thoughts about Justin Taylor, no matter if Brian was taking drugs or not.


	5. True To Them Who’re True To You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Believe it or not, but there are actually not so many young female characters in the series. So, I have given it a little thought and decided I'll make Darren and Shanda Leer into a brother and sister. Just imagine Shanda a little more feminine and less of a drag queen, I guess.

**Zion’s outskirts, 2270.**

The long-abandoned building was dark and full of shadows, rare glints of daylight piercing through the empty window openings; tiny patches of gray sky visible, reflected in the puddles on the wet floor. This place was found on the very day Justin and the others realized they were now wanted by the police. It was their second morning there and none of them had much sleep last night. Or the previous one, for that matter.

Now they were waiting for Hunter to return with news, since he was the only one able to scout and escape fast in case if something went wrong. It’s been a good hour since he left, or maybe more. Daphne would know for sure, since she was the only one with a watch.

Cody tried to protect them by moving some of the concrete blocks around in a way so it would be impossible for anyone to come in without making a mess. Except for the teleporting Hunter, of course. Justin knew they had to leave, but didn’t have any idea as to where exactly, since the whole district seemed to be under surveillance. At least that was what they heard on the news from Hunter’s holo-screen. Cody assumed the government was just trying to scare them, but Justin didn’t think so. Hobbs was rich, powerful, and surely had enough influence to push the Mayor around. Not that Stockwell needed much pushing since he hated the Eleventh district anyway. 

Justin didn’t want to give up hope, though. It was hard, especially now, as they sat in silence and eyed the dark, wet walls of their current sanctuary. They stumbled upon it after a couple of hours of pointless, anxious walking around their training field. Justin managed to summon a useful vision for a change that showed him the building, so for the lack of a better choice at the time being, he directed everyone there. It seemed to be what was left of the old Tenth district that decades ago was even poorer than the Eleventh now, although Justin had a hard time imagining that. Before, as his mom told him, Zion was split between exactly twenty-nine districts, and slowly they merged together, leaving only three. Tenth and all the rest stayed behind, forgotten. Technically, Justin and the rest weren’t even in Zion anymore.

“I’m starting to worry,” Daphne confessed quietly. “Just a little.”

Justin gave her a brief reassuring smile and tried his best to prompt any vision at all, hoping it would be about Hunter. Because if he were completely fair with himself, he’d been worried since long before Daphne voiced her concern, he just couldn’t really let it on. 

Justin’s skin seemed to tingle a little, but nothing came. He tried again, and then once more, and it must have shown on his face, because Cody said: “Stop. He will show up, give him some credit.”

Earlier Justin insisted for Daphne to sit on his own jacket so she won’t get cold through the night, and now was trying not to shiver. Back pressed to a stone wall, he let out a long sigh and closed his eyes. And there it was.

_Flash. A pale-skinned girl with a look of concern on her face, so young, so innocent; yet staring determined at a man. Craig Taylor. No doubt, that’s him: hair grayer, creases deeper. Molly? Was her name Molly? So much time has passed. Raven-haired officer Mikey from three years ago, smiling at her; calm, gentle smile. Hawk-eyed Brian, sharp glare darting around from the girl and back to Craig._

“Anything?” was the first thing Justin heard after he got back to reality and felt the cold wall behind him again. Daphne glared at him with an impatient frown. “Justin?”

“They’re questioning my father. Or will question him soon, I’m not sure,” he stumbled for a moment, trying to remember how the girl looked. “I also saw my sister.”

He kept silent about Brian, not wanting to share it with Cody yet. Daphne though seemed like she was expecting news about Hunter and not some random unrelated vision, so she just turned away from Justin disappointedly and squirmed on his jacket as if she was cold. She probably was. 

“Have you ever seen her in visions before?” Cody asked as it seemed to Justin just to fill the silence. “Is she grown up now?”

“A time or two,” Justin replied absentmindedly. “She was only a baby when I was taken away. She’s fourteen now.”

The air seemed to tremble a little bit, and Justin got tense. Cody rose to his feet, ready to protect them, but it was not necessary. With a soft swish Hunter suddenly materialized right in the middle of the room; he was berating heavily, but looked excited. 

“Finally!” Daphne exclaimed with distinct relief as she jumped off of the jacket she was sitting on to approach Hunter. “Any news?”

“Not really,” Hunter wheezed. “Gimme a moment. Had to jump a lot.”

The word “teleported” was way too long to be kept in a vocabulary of someone like Hunter, so he simply replaced it with _jump_ quite a while ago. He unzipped his black puffer jacket and seemed to be getting something from the inside pockets. 

“What the hell took you so long?” Cody grumbled, despite the irritation looking way more relaxed now than a minute before. Justin could tell he was glad to see Hunter. 

“You’re welcome for your breakfast,” Hunter taunted in response, finally pulling what it appeared to be a tube of dried potato chips from under his coat and tossing it Cody’s way. “You ungrateful ass.”

Cody just scoffed, immediately reacting by stretching out his palm and catching the tube mid-air with his power. Justin noticed with a slight surprise that it was now floating his way. 

“Have some first, Justin,” Cody said quietly. “You look pretty pale.”

“We share later,” Justin shrugged and pushed his body up off of the wall to be on the same level with everyone else. He took the tube, stopping it from hovering in the air as he got closer to Hunter. “What about the news?”

Hunter silently pulled another tube of chips, a couple of canned sodas and a pack of sour candy from under his coat. He gave the latter to Daphne, smiling contently at her impatient squeal. 

“I love sour candy! Thank you, Hunter,” she accepted the package before asking hesitantly: “Did you steal these?”

“So what?” Hunter deflected. “Not like there’s any shortage of them out there. And we need food.”

Daphne was already chewing by the time Hunter had finished his sentence, way too hungry to be proud about stolen food, so the matter seemed to be settled. Justin, unlike her, just could not feel any hunger right now. He was waiting impatiently for Hunter to speak up about what was going on in the district. 

“They eased off on the whole watch thing. The Bazaar is almost safe,” Hunter finally said, descending on the now vacant jacket on the floor. “But you still cannot leave the district without being checked, even with a work permit.”

“Have you sheen anyone?” Daphne lisped through a candy in her mouth, probably meaning if Hunter had the chance to talk to anyone they’ve known and tell them they’re safe. She and Justin were the only ones to have families at the Eleventh among the four of them, and Justin felt a pinch of sadness at the thought of his mother.

Hunter had enough time to shake his head negative before Cody frowned: “More importantly, has anyone seen you?”

And then Justin felt it: there was something Hunter wasn’t telling them. Justin could always see it on his face: a corner of his lips would jerk a little, his eyes would dart around. Maybe, Justin had spent way too much time with Hunter to be able to miss his lying face; or maybe, Hunter was just that obvious. It didn’t matter. Justin felt a bit of the usual tingling in the back of his head; a gentle offer, a plea to let another vision in. 

“Hunter,” Cody growled.

“Yeah, about that… I was pretty tired jumping around today so I kind of…” Hunter hesitated. “Kind of walked to the field and jumped from there.”

“You’re a fucking idiot, Hunter,” Justin heard Cody hiss before he allowed a vision to take his mind.

_Flash. Four voices in the shadows; tension, worry, sugary candy smell. He is looking at his feet, yet there are no feet where they are supposed to be. He is afraid, feeling the reassuring squeeze on his wrist, yet there is no wrist and no one to squeeze it. What is he? What are they?_

Someone was here, someone had followed Hunter. How in world was it possible to follow a teleporting person, Justin didn’t imagine. Nobody seemed to notice him having a vision, so he raised his voice: “Quiet,” he said. “There’s someone in the building with us.”

Hunter just muttered _“fucking shit”_ under his breath, while Daphne hastily shoved the half-finished pack of candy down her pocket before brushing her sugar-stained palms against one another. Cody seemed to tense even more than her, knowing that the responsibility of keeping everyone physically safe was mostly on his power. Justin on the other hand, didn’t feel any fear. He was still in the aftermath of his vision, feeling like whoever was lurking behind a couple of well-placed concrete slabs was even more terrified than all of them combined.

“Could you remove those, Cody?” Justin asked, nodding his chin towards the blocks in the doorway. 

“What?’ Cody gasped, glaring at him in disbelief. “Justin, you…”

“Clear the way,” Justin insisted, now looking directly at Cody with a cold, yet reassuring look. “Go on. Do you trust me?”

Daphne and Hunter seemed to be just as confused as Cody was, and there was a slight pause. But Justin knew the answer anyway.

“I… of course,” Cody complied reluctantly and turned to the doorway, gesturing his hand towards it, as if he was grabbing something in the air. Soon enough the slabs were moved out of the way. With the rattling noise fading the air, the four of them were left to stand there in complete silence, staring into the emptiness of the dark room.

“Show yourself,” Justin said finally, voice echoing off of the walls, and stepped ahead. “We won’t hurt you.”

“Unless we have to,” Cody added moving near him, main hand still raised in the air.

For some time, there was only silence. After his eyes adjusted, Justin could see the whole room in front of him: three windows devoid of glass, gaping in the middle of the shadows, wet floor glistening underneath. Emptiness, eerily perfect, one that cannot be trusted.

“No reason to be afraid,” Justin called softly into the void. 

And then there was a sound. Light footsteps on the dirty concrete floor. Justin turned to Cody and saw him nod readily, confirming that whoever or whatever was coming, he was prepared to fight. 

“What the hell, Shanda,” a high, melodic male voice said in the empty room, sounding almost horrifyingly loud after all the silence. “I’m done hiding. If you are so damn scared, you might as well just go back.”

“Fuck you,” this time Justin could bet the voice was female. “We’re in this together.”

Hunter and Daphne made a few steps ahead, now standing behind Justin and Cody, all four of them ready for whatever was going to happen, yet not understanding a thing until the very moment a tall, bony and slouchy guy appeared right there in front of them, out of thin air. A pair of watery gray eyes glanced with distinct unease from under the mop of mousy curls falling on his forehead. 

“I get that this is weird,” the guy said immediately, raising his opened palms up in the air as if to surrender. “But my name is Darren. And this is… come on, Shanda.”

Suddenly, within arm's reach from Justin (since he was ahead of everyone) appeared a thin blond girl. She was just as tall as Darren, and their silvery eyes looked absolutely identical, so Justin filed away a safe assumption about these two people being siblings in his head. 

“Hey, watch it!” Cody seemed to have decided that the girl was standing way too close and cut in front of Justin in an attempt to protect him. “Back off.”

“Chill, we’re just here to talk,” the girl named Shanda stared at Cody intensely as she stood her ground and didn’t move an inch away. “Who the hell are you anyway, his bodyguard?”

“Do I need to be?” Cody scowled at her, muscles on his back stiff as Justin put a hand on his shoulder. 

“Calm down, Cody,” Justin said quietly, giving Cody’s shoulder an assuring squeeze. “We will talk to them. They don’t seem a threat.”

Justin felt Cody’s shoulder slightly relax just before it tensed again, when the blond girl said: “See, pretty boy here gets it. Glad he’s in charge.”

Darren and Shanda both went though the doorway under Cody’s piercing stare. Justin didn’t shy away from studying them either and finally noticed two very familiar bandages on both of their necks. 

“How long ago did you…?” he gestured his hand around his own neck, and without needing any further explanations Darren nodded in understanding.

“The other day,” he replied and flinched a little hearing the concrete slabs being put back in their place by Cody. “We were trying to find you this whole time.”

_The other day_ would mean they cut their Stubs right after they saw the tape. Justin sighed, trying to accept the fact that his decisions were now not only his own.

“Find us?” Daphne quizzed in surprise as her eyebrows went up. “Why?”

“People at the Eleventh actually don’t think you’re that bad,” Shanda replied, leaning her back against the wall. “We’ve got some friends and friends of friends and some more people that wanted to do what you did long ago. No one seemed to have the balls. Before you, Justin.”

Justin felt weird hearing his own name from a stranger. He exchanged another look with Cody, trying to figure out what he thought about all this.

“I guess we are still on the news since you know my name,” Justin sighed, unsure if it was a good or a bad thing. “So, you managed to follow Hunter?”

“That’d be him,” Darren nodded towards Hunter. “Yeah. We’ve been walking around Bazaar ever since the tape went viral, waiting for any news we can eavesdrop on. Invisible, of course. And then we saw him, just… appearing all of a sudden.”

_“Appearing?”_ Cody fumed immediately. “Are you really that stupid, Hunter? To just jump in the middle of Bazaar?”

“Fuck off, man! I’ve been jumping like that for months; nobody gives a shit!” Hunter shot back, glaring at Cody angrily. “Even if they do, I’m out before they know it.” 

“Cut it out, both of you,” Daphne interjected before Justin could say anything. The argument ended abruptly with Cody and Hunter still eyeing each other with distinct irritation, although keeping silence reluctantly. 

Not that Justin thought that teleporting right in the middle of a busy square wasn’t extremely stupid, but sometimes Cody truly overreacted. Justin was actually surprised that he gave it a rest now, even though it was Daphne who asked him to stop. Usually he only responded to Justin’s pleas. 

“We followed him from the Bazaar and to the field,” Shanda continued. “And then it wasn’t hard to find you. This is actually the Tenth, or what’s left of it anyway.”

“Our grandmother… grew up not so far away, so we know the area,” Darren added and Justin saw him hesitating. “That being a part of the reason why we wanted to find you.”

At least now Justin knew that they are, in fact, brother and sister. That was the only thing he managed to understand so far. He thought for a second, _just how often do siblings have a similar power?_

“How in the fuck does any of that make sense?” Hunter cut in, making a few steps towards the newcomers. 

“Well maybe you’d find out if you’d let him continue,” Shanda said defensively before picking up where Darren left off. “The fact of the matter is, you can’t hide in this trash hole for very long. I’m already fucking freezing,” she demonstratively rubbed her shoulders and shivered a little. “And we might know just the place for us all to settle in.”

“We were telling everyone who’d want to join about the place,” Darren said, eyes fixed on Cody, who as always was the hardest to convince. “Now we have about ten people there, maybe. We’re the only ones who can scout, so… they’re all waiting.”

Justin felt… numb. It was strange, realizing that somewhere someone looked at the tape of him destroying Hobbs’s equipment in the news and that of all things influenced them enough to actually change their whole life. He always knew he was responsible for the three of his closest friends, yet knowing that out there were even more people waiting for him seemed surreal. 

“You mean there are people who want to join us?” Cody questioned, finally losing his suspicious expression and for once in the last ten minutes appearing to be interested, even excited. “Where is the place?”

“Did they all cut their Stubs?” Justin interjected before Darren or Shanda could answer. “Because I did?” 

“Most haven’t done anything yet. Didn’t have the time to,” Darren replied. “But they’re willing. As for the place…”

“It’s an old Ninth district’s orphanage,” Shanda said, looking at Cody now. “Our grandmother used to be the owner, and she refused to give up on the place, even after the district was already abandoned. We helped her around, until she passed. So, the place is in good shape still,” with both of the questions answered, Shanda jerked her eyebrow: “What’s your name anyway, grumpy?”

“Cody,” he grumbled.

“Daphne here,” Daphne waved with a smile on her face, now seeming way less hostile than she was before.

“You already know Justin and me,” Hunter shrugged as he reached for the tube of chips, all but forgotten now. “You want some before we head out?”

Justin kept silence for a moment, deep in thought. Even with Hunter teleporting and both of the newcomers being invisible, going out in the morning was still dangerous. 

“You better rest for now,” Justin said quietly, determined. “We’re going at nightfall.”

**District 29, 2270.**

“So that’s how the filthy rich people live,” Michael exclaimed, looking around. 

A corner of Brian’s lips jerked in response as they walked out of the elevator. Craig Taylor’s suite was taking up a whole floor of Veracity, making him exactly what Michael said: filthy rich. They only had time to step out of the elevator and adjust to the shiny and glistening surroundings a little bit before they were greeted by a dark-haired woman in a slim pencil skirt.

“Welcome, officers,” she gave them both a brief greeting smile, eyes lingering on Brian. He was used to that. “Mr. Taylor is expecting you.”

They just nodded in response before following her through the long hall and into the corridor, past so many doors Brian lost count. The suite was spacious, light piercing through the large picture windows that opened a panoramic view of nearly the whole Zion underneath. Most of the furniture was white: leather chairs and marble countertops; luxurious rugs crumpling softly beneath Brian’s shoes. Actually, the amount of white colors and expensive tech reminded Brian a lot of Cynthia’s medical office which made him a little uneasy. 

This wasn’t where Justin Taylor had spent his early childhood years, but nonetheless it said a lot about its current owner.

Finally, the woman halted at the very end of the corridor. Pressing her wrist on to the reader next to the wide double doors, she made them slide open for Brian and Michael to proceed into what Brian assumed was Craig’s home office. The woman tapped twice behind her ear, stating: “The police gentlemen are here,” before she smiled curtly once again and said: “Take a seat, Mr. Taylor will be with you shortly,” before making her way back.

“Did I mention _filthy rich?”_ Michael repeated in a tiny snickering whisper. 

“Get a grip,” Brian muttered in response, not amused yet unspiteful. 

They stepped through the doorway and into the office that looked just as lavish as the rest of the suite. Michael sank in one of the soft deep chairs, squirming uncomfortably while Brian just leaned his back against the wall as usual, always preferring to stand and sometimes intimidatingly tower over people he was questioning. Being taller than most of them had to be of some use, after all. 

“Good day, gentlemen,” the doors slid open once again, letting Craig Taylor in. “I told Chief Horvath I have no idea what exactly is it that you need me for. Still, I’m more than happy to cooperate.”

More than happy he wasn’t, and Brian could bet on that. He eyed Taylor for good ten seconds, trying to understand what kind of a person he was, although giving his six-year-old over to the police and divorcing his wife because she didn’t want to abandon their child should’ve given Brian an impression by now. Despite being the CEO of Taylor’s Cybernetics, the man looked like your typical rank and file clerk, except for the ridiculously expensive suit he was wearing. Less than flattering on Craig, the deep brown color suit was “you will never guess I’m rich” kind of suit, but luckily, Brian knew his labels.

Watery grey eyes, receding hairline; Taylor Senior didn’t bare any resemblance to his son, that’s for sure.

“Hello, Mr. Taylor,” Michael greeted politely as he rose from his chair to shake Craig’s hand and sat back down. “I’m Sergeant Michael Novotny and this is my partner on the case, Lieutenant Brian Kinney.” 

Brian stretched out his hand to be shaken and nodded a silent greeting. This has been their usual practice for years: soft spoken, a lot less intimidating and thus seemingly more trustworthy Michael would ask questions, trying to endear a person; all the while Brian, being a whole lot better judge of character, would just pay close attention to the process and make his mental notes.

“Pleased to meet you, officers,” Taylor descended into his armchair behind the red wood office desk. “You probably know Justin had been raised by his mother. I’ve stopped seeing him since he turned seven.”

“Nonetheless, Mr. Taylor,” Michael adjusted his tablet on his knees, eyeing the questions in there briefly. “There must be something you can tell us that isn’t on Justin’s file. Please, describe his power exactly for us.”

“The boy had some sort of… visions,” Craig replied, past tense not going unnoticed by Brian. Justin was dead for his own father, or so it seemed. “I remember the very first time it occurred. He wanted to tell me all about the poker hand of my father at a family dinner.”

“So, he sees present time, but just not… not the events he’s involved in?” Michael pressed, leaning ahead in his chair, as if to get closer to Taylor. “His file says predicting.”

Brian quietly scoffed yet again at the lousy work of the fellow policemen. Often the registration cases such as Justin’s were the resort of young, barely graduated officers who didn’t quite know the ropes yet. Plus, the parents were usually upset and nervous while their children were somewhere around the age of five. All of that resulted in ID files often having incomplete information about the powers, sometimes even downright false. 

“Couple of times in the process of registration he fell into this… trance almost,” Craig frowned as if trying to recall the events, yet Brian knew somehow that he remembered them exactly. “Each time he’d snap out of it he’d yell something, and… that would happen. This was where the officers got the idea from.”

“Often when they’re panicking that can trigger a lot of things,” Michael nodded in agreement. “Can cause their power to act chaotically.” 

Michael's soft speech seemed to soothe Craig Taylor enough for him to relax and sit back in his chair. However, this time Mikey hesitated with asking the right questions.

“Was he ever violent?” Brian spoke finally and smothered the smirk in the corner of his lips as he saw Taylor nearly jump at the sudden sound of his voice. “That can usually be seen pretty early.”

“I can’t say I’ve noticed,” Craig responded vaguely. “Would you like a drink?”

“Thank you, Mr. Taylor, but we’re on duty,” Michael declined with a polite smile for both of them. “Was there something you did notice? What kind of kid Justin was?”

As Craig took his time to think while pressing a button built into the wood of his working desk to call in a drink, Brian heard something. The office they were in was clearly sound-proof inside and out, so the noise must have been very close outside. Like, right on the doorstep.

“Dad!” the woman in her pencil skirt carrying a shot of whiskey for Craig Taylor looked disappointed as she was followed into the office by a yelling teenage girl. “Why didn’t you tell me they were asking about Justin?”

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Taylor, there was no way I could stop her,” the woman apologized briefly and stood in the middle of the room, confused as to what her next order would be. “As soon as the door opened, she just...”

“I get the picture,” Craig growled in response. “Now take her and leave,” he turned his face to the girl, a threat in his voice: “We will talk about this later, Molly.”

“I’m not leaving,” the girl argued, seemingly not frightened. She frowned stubbornly and eerily reminded Brian of Justin’s face on the tape. Her eyes were just as blue as her brother’s; the tips of her waist-long sandy hair were curling. She looked not older than fifteen. “I want to at least stay here and listen.”

Brian did study Justin’s files, after all. Brian knew he had a younger sister that was too little to remember anything from the time they were separated. Yet, the girl spoke as if she knew Justin well and looked genuinely concerned for his well-being. 

This was unusual.

“It’s okay, Molly,” Michael spoke softly. “My name is Sergeant Michael Novotny, and this is Lieutenant Brian Kinney. We’re just here to ask a few questions. Could you tell me, Molly, do you remember Justin at all?”

Molly’s eyes darted around the room as the pencil-skirt woman excused herself. After the doors slid shut behind her, the girl looked directly at Brian, as if trying to tell him something with no words involved. He was willing to listen, so he held the stare.

“Justin sang the best bedtime songs. All I remember _seeing_ from him was kindness,” she finally said. “I could have never...”

“Molly, you were just an infant, you can’t possibly remember…”

“Can the girl speak?” Brian interjected, one of his intimidating glares thrown Craig’s way. “Go on,” he prompted, now looking at Molly again.

“I could have never _envisioned_ him hurting anyone,” Molly finished, still looking at Brian. She clearly knew more than she could let on in front of her father, and it was right there for Brian to figure out. He just had to think. “I’m sure you will be able to _see_ this too, officer.”

Craig Taylor rose from his chair and smashed an opened palm against his desk.

“Enough, Molly,” he growled. “To your room, now.” 

The girl made a few tiny steps backwards, her eyes still fixed on Brian, before finally turning around and leaving the room hastily. Brian caught a confused look from Michael as he heard Craig Taylor say:

“I think you can see that my daughter is quite unwell. You shouldn’t take her seriously.” He walked towards the door and only now did Brian notice that his hands were shaking. Was it anger or fear? “Now, if there is nothing more I can help you with, I think you better go.”

“Sure, Mr. Taylor,” Michael agreed, getting up to his feet and making a few notes in his tablet. Brian knew the whole thing was just as suspicious to him. “We will call you back in case we have any new questions. Thank you.”

Brian let his friend go first and lingered in the doorway, hand holding one of the sliding doors still.

“She seemed perfectly well to me,” he said in a low voice, looking at Craig over his shoulder. “Evening, Mr. Taylor.”

Not expecting any answer, he released the door and stepped out into the corridor to catch up with Michael. Now he had to get to the station and think long and hard at what exactly was it that Molly was trying to tell him. Why was it him and not Michael also appeared to be a good question.


	6. A Flight of Ravens

**Zion’s outskirts, 2270.**

“You won’t believe it, man!” Hunter whooped, not able to stop himself from teleporting ahead to see the place. “It’s huge!”

“We’re almost there,” Darren smiled at them. He and Shanda now felt safe enough to stay visible, since the way they made through the night was at least five miles long. 

Justin had never been here before; these were the remains of Tenth and Ninth districts. It was still possible to make out the roads and streets, but buildings were just ruined for the most part. As they walked in the depth of night, occasionally getting frightened by the sounds of wind blowing through the empty windows or some weird rattle from the nearby houses, they got to know each other a bit.

Darren and Shanda told them they were actually twins (Shanda being seven minutes older) and got their Stubs on the same week. Their parents didn’t want anything to do with the kids even before their abilities showed up, so they didn’t think long before dropping them at the Eleventh’s orphanage. Their grandmother disagreed, however. She devoted her whole life to the Ninth district’s kids, taking care of anyone who was abandoned and needed help. She was still keeping the building in shape, refusing to move, even though by law the orphanage couldn’t function any longer. The twins were just happy to live with anyone of kin, so they helped out. The building was quite large for three people, however, so only a few rooms were occupied.

Until now.

“Ninth district,” Daphne frowned, musing: “Is it like… a ghetto for a ghetto?”

It was getting close to dawn and the night's piercing wind started to ease a little, but Justin could still see his own breath escaping his mouth. Daphne forced him back into his jacket after she managed to convince him she was _– really, I swear it –_ not cold, but looking at her slightly shivering now, Justin couldn’t help but wish they’d get to the place faster. 

The sky was lighting up with purple, rare brushes of pink and yellow visible on the horizon line. The five of them were walking down the wide empty road quietly for the most part, since during their long way they managed to get quite tired. The only one who seemed to be excited now was Hunter, teleporting all over the place without a care in the world.

“Yeah,” he replied, appearing next to Daphne and snickering at her momentarily getting scared. “We’re now officially _single digits.”_

 _“Like, really-short-dozens,”_ Shanda grinned, sipping what was left of the canned soda stolen earlier by Hunter. 

_“Tiny-dozens?”_ Daphne humored along, and although it wasn’t all that funny, Justin still let out a quiet breathy giggle. It was nice to see some smiling faces and feel like they had something good to look forward to for the first time in the last few days. 

The only one who didn’t seem to pick up on the bright and giggly mood was Cody. Trailing slightly behind everyone else, he seemed to be lost deep in thoughts, and Justin couldn’t help but slow down a little to keep pace with him.

“I thought you were excited about new people,” Justin probed, ducking his head to look into Cody’s face. He didn’t know exactly what bothered his friend, so he decided to settle for some small talk first, hoping to find out in the process. “Darren said there is this lady that can heal wounds and scars. Maybe we should get rid of-”

“No,” Cody shook his head immediately. “I would never get rid of mine. It’s a part of who I am.”

“A hell of a memory at that,” Justin nodded with a faint smile. He couldn’t argue with what Cody said, so they continued their silent walk as four people ahead of them were still snickering at some silly remarks Shanda was making.

“Besides,” Cody continued: “Healing scars is a pretty useless thing to have for a power, considering they can laser it off of you any day.”

“Under the Dome, maybe,” Justin shrugged, glad that that he succeeded at small talk after all. “We can’t afford that.”

“All the more reason not to bother,” Cody stated, seeming hesitant for a moment. Justin wasn’t used to seeing him that way: usually Cody didn’t ever hesitate to do anything; he would most likely act hastily and regret it later. “Justin, I… I’ve been thinking about what kind of people we might meet there.”

“I haven’t seen anything yet,” Justin responded quietly, looking at the raising sun in the distance. First rays, bright gold in color, were already spilled over the dusty roads and ramshackle buildings around them. “I can try if you want, although it’s a bit late for that.”

“That’s not what I meant, I don’t want a vision, I just…” Cody sighed and a struggle on his face was apparent to Justin. Yet, Justin himself had no idea as to what could he do to ease it, so he just kept walking next to his friend slowly. “I want you to know that no matter who are we going to face out there, I will never let anything happen to you, Justin.”

Justin knew that Cody was attached to him, perhaps a little more than to others in their group. Sometimes he wondered if Cody was in love, but with everything that went down in the last four days these thoughts seemed to take a lot less of Justin’s mind that earlier. He was contemplating if he should be serious for a few seconds before finally deciding otherwise. After all, it was the fist time in what seemed like forever that Justin actually was in a relatively good mood.

“Whatever brought that on,” he grinned, pushing his shoulder against Cody’s slightly. “I can take care of myself, Cody. But… _I know.”_

He had enough time to catch a glint of what seemed like the tiniest smile of content on Cody’s face before Darren halted in front of them, simply stating: “We’re here.”

This part of the district seemed less developed, if Justin could even use that word to describe the Ninth at all. Less buildings, more fields, which was a rarity anywhere in Zion. Justin even thought he noticed a bird flying above them. A bird wasn't anything out of order in the Eleventh, but anywhere else in the city people probably already forgot how they looked.

A building they were now standing before didn’t seem to be that different from any other building they passed on their way here, except for maybe being wider, so Justin questioned Hunter’s excitement. The house was gray and dusty, noticeably old; empty bicycle and hoverboard parking left to rust near the entrance, large doors led to by the moving walkway that had stopped moving at least a few decades ago. To Justin’s surprise, the doors were boarded up by what looked like thin metal plates, so were the windows, at least on the façade of the building. 

At the very top was the signboard that Justin assumed used to glow, but now was barely discernable: _“Hope 2193, Ninth district’s public orphanage”._

Somehow the house, now drenched in morning’s sunshine, seemed inviting, despite everything. Although Justin couldn’t possibly imagine how did it look on the inside.

“So, is it really seventy-seven years old?” Daphne queried while Darren and Shanda just allowed the rest of them to stand there for a few moments with their heads thrown back, squinting at the sun while eyeing the whole building.

“Yeah,” Shanda answered, slowly moving towards the alley on the side of the building, barely visible at first sight. “We don’t use the front entrance, by the way.”

“For safety,” Darren explained, following his sister.

“Ain’t that a repdigit?” Hunter questioned in reply, both palms pressed into the handrails of the broken walkway as he pushed his body up and rocked his feet above the ground. The four of them were still unmoving, despite the twins seemingly wanting to go in already. “Seventy-seven I mean.”

“Any digit that consists of identical numbers is a repdigit,” Daphne responded, eyes still fixed on the sigh. Somehow it looked eerie and Justin got that feeling too. 

“Nerd alert,” Hunter deadpanned before disappearing from the walkway and out of sight in a second. Justin gasped to call out for him, wanting to have a few words with all of his friends while the twins are gone, but figured he teleported too far away. 

Cody, however, quickly understood what it was that Justin wanted and didn’t hold himself from yelling: “Hunter! Get your ass back here!”

It didn’t take long for a swish sound to pierce the air around them as Hunter appeared right in the middle of the road, just before Cody. 

“What is it, pa?”

Cody kept silent, and Hunter eventually turned his attention to Justin.

“I just want you to remember that in case these people are not what we expect them to be,” Justin said, looking at each of them one by one. “We’re still here for each other. Alright?”

He saw three nods of agreement before they finally followed the twins, stepping off the dusty road and on to the ground that led to the emergency entrance. As they did, Cody quietly added: “And don’t get your hopes up too high.’”

The narrow alleyway they entered was much darker than the rest of the street, since the sun barely got in. It was actually pretty clever to use it for a safety entrance, Justin thought while they walked in a row one after another, unable to fit into the passage together.

“Don’t freak out too much,” Shanda said as Darren unlocked a small box near the door and dialed a set of numbers on the panel. Justin thought ID readers and microchips probably weren’t a thing seventy years ago. “These people can be a handful sometimes.”

“Some more than others,” Darren quipped with a slight grin.

The door beeped quietly and Shanda pulled it open for everyone to enter, waiting patiently for Cody to walk in last before closing it shut. As soon as Justin’s eyes had a little rest and the annoying white veil from staring at the sun too for long finally melted, he could properly look around. And even before that, he could _smell._

“Breakfast time,” Shanda announced cheerfully before hurrying inside as she yelled: “Darren will show you around, I have news to share!”

Aside from seeing the hallway and smelling what seemed like hot food, Justin could also hear: some quiet muttering of the holovision, muffled voices, steps, Shanda’s yell _“we found them, they’re here!”._ Overall, Justin’s senses were overloaded as he just stood in the hallway, not sure of what is he supposed to focus on first. The building on the inside looked nothing like its own façade, and not even close to anything Justin had imagined it would look like. Despite the boarded windows and the lack of light, it seemed like the coziest place the four of them had stepped foot in, at least in the last few days. The hallway was narrow, an old automatic wardrobe took up the whole wall on the right. 

“Your clothes,” the robotic voice screeched as Justin and the rest moved forward. The wardrobe slid open and a few coat hangers poked out, waiting. This was some old tech, Justin didn’t remember anything like that growing up, and he was the only one to have a wealthy childhood. So, it seemed, these robots were way older than him or any of them, for that matter.

“U-h, no, thanks,” Daphne replied for all of them, since no one seemed to be keen on the idea of leaving any of their few belongings behind. 

“As you wish,” the voice complied and a second later the door closed automatically. 

“Should have undressed,” Darren told them, dressed in a long heavy sweater himself. “Deb won’t like you walking around here in your outside clothes.”

“Who’s Deb?” Hunter immediately asked, way too busy with looking around to teleport at the moment. 

“Oh, you’ll see soon enough,” Darren chuckled as he led them through the hallway and finally into the spacious, yet cluttered room. 

It took Justin by surprise, but the room seemed to be full of light, although the walls were somewhat dark, navy blue color. In a few moments he realized that the windows are covered with thin luminescent paper, imitating the warm yellow light you would see on a sunny breezy day. At night they would probably switch to purple, or one could customize them as they want. Their own cheap version of the Dome, Justin thought and smiled to himself. 

At the center there was an old, long couch of unrecognizable color, maybe it was beige some day before, but now just looked worn-out brown. The artificial leather they made back then (and still do) stopped wearing out at all nearly a century ago, completely replacing any natural materials in manufacture, so Justin couldn’t help but wonder just what in the world the ugly couch was made of. It was surrounded by a few way better looking armchairs and a solid wood coffee table with a bunch of magazine holo-tablets on. 

The muttering holovision set Justin heard upon entering also appeared to be here, as they stepped further, they saw it in the corner of the room. The volume was so low Justin could barely make out anything of what the newsman was saying, but was glad at least not to see his own face. The big room they were now in was linked to what looked like a dining area by the wide archway. To right of it were two sets of stairs leading up and down, so Justin figured the place must have a basement. 

Darren just slowly walked beside the four of them, letting them explore and look around, up until the moment a stentorian holler coming from somewhere not very far hit their ears:

“Darren!” it was definitely a woman yelling, Justin could figure that much. He could also figure that messing with this particular woman could be deadly, judging by her tone. “What is taking you so damn long?”

“Coming!” Darren answered after he winced at the sudden sound of this woman’s voice. He looked at the four of them, gesturing his hand: “Okay, we better get to the kitchen. I bet you guys are hungry.”

Justin’s empty stomach definitely supported that statement, all the while Justin’s mind (sounding surprisingly like Cody’s voice in his head) told him not to trust strangers that fast. Even for food.

“Whoa, I’m starting to like this whole thing,” Hunter grinned as they hurried through the archway, past the long wooden table with a few chairs around it and finally into the kitchen. 

The kitchen looked way too big to be used by one cook, so at least the third of it was cluttered with broken carrier-robots and shelves full of things Justin’s eye couldn’t reach. Cooking tech seemed to be rather new, or at least not as old as everything else in this house. As opposed to the dark walls of the living room, the kitchen was decorated in lighter colors, pastel yellow taking up most of the space.

Justin had just enough time to glance around before he finally noticed the yelling woman, accompanied by an elderly, gray-haired man. The woman was dressed in a rather colorful jacket (by the looks of it also rather old) and had a mop of bright red curls on her head. 

“Good God!” she exclaimed, covering her lips with her hand in disbelief as she exchanged a shocked look with the man next to her. “You kids look even younger and thinner than on holovision. How long has it been since you’ve had a hot meal?”

And before he knew it, Justin was embraced in a tight hug that smelled like freshly steamed clothes, a bit of skin powder, and something that seemed suspiciously like some very tasty and very old-fashioned blueberry pancakes.

**District 29, 2070.**

“Okay, okay,” Michael finally surrendered, raising his opened palms in the air. “I will humor you. Molly Taylor has powers, alright?” He swiped down on the holo-panel in front of his desk, closing it for a moment to get a better look at Brian. “How is Craig Taylor who practically hates his son for having, mind you, the same powers, allowing his daughter to walk free?”

“That’s the thing, Mikey,” Brian frowned, resting his elbows on the arms of his chair as he laid back. “She is not free.” 

He connected the fingertips of both of his hands together as he let himself delve deeper into the thoughts. There was something more to this case, something more to Molly Taylor trying to communicate with Brian, something more to Chris Hobbs trying to get a hold of Justin Taylor. 

Brian looked out of the window: The Trinity in its usual glory glistened before him; cars passing by, headlights flashing, neon drenched streets alive as ever, despite the late hour. At the corner of his eye Brian noticed it: one of the huge Hobbs’s Enterprises billboards with none other than Chris posing for it. _Smart is the best superpower._

 _You bet,_ Brian thought bitterly as he tried to make sense of it all. Something told him that it wasn’t just revenge for the store destroyed that interested Chris Hobbs. But what was it then?

“Did you see him?” Brian asked, staring vacantly at the billboard without actually focusing on the image. “He was scared. At first, I thought he was angry, but it wasn’t that. He was scared we will figure it out.”

Michael darted his eyes to the billboard with a puzzled expression on his face. It took him a couple of seconds to understand that Brian was actually talking about Craig Taylor and not Hobbs on the billboard.

“So, you think he is aware and keeping her around for his own benefit?” Mikey got up and walked to the window, now staring at the billboard too. It was just too huge to miss, so inevitably, it drawn the attention. “Why didn’t he do the same with Justin then?” 

All the questions and no answers swarming in his head began to irritate Brian. Michael, who was being doubtful about every suggestion of Brian’s so far started to annoy him as well. He remembered Cynthia’s warnings and somehow that just pushed him further towards the edge; he needed to get away from this office, from Michael, and also, he needed to come up with something, _anything,_ that could give him any clarity. 

“Well,” he rose from his chair swiftly, with a clap of his opened palms on his thighs. “I’m going out.”

Michael’s face expression immediately went from wondering to straight up lost as he turned away from the window and to Brian.

“What do you mean?” he exclaimed, baffled. “We have Jennifer Taylor to question, Chris Hobbs to meet… we have to focus, Brian!”

“That’s all for tomorrow,” Brian shrugged as he adjusted the collar of his black overcoat before heading out. It was raining today, and he had no idea who would vote for the rain under the Dome. “Besides, I focus best while getting my dick sucked. You should try sometime.”

“No thanks,” Michael responded flatly, accepting his defeat in trying to pursue Brian to stay. He had his usual “disappointed by Brian” look on, which nine times out of ten made Brian soften at least a little.

Brian approached Michael slowly to cup his friend’s face with his hands and with a soft smile stated: “That’s why you’re still a sergeant.” He gave Michael’s forehead a quick gentle kiss before releasing him, and whispered: “Later.”

Brian could feel Michael’s piercing glare right on his back until the moment he shut the door behind him. Even if he did focus best while getting his dick sucked, that was not on the agenda for today. He came up with something that had a chance to appear way more productive if played out right. Michael didn’t have to know about it, though. 

**District 17, 2070.**

Ironically, while under the Dome it was raining, the streets of Seventeenth were dry as they glistened dimly in the evening lights. Brian’s car was always drawing attention around here, so he tried his best to park it discreetly in the back of a tall, dark and dusty building. This part of the district located on the very border with the Eleventh, so at night you could meet all sorts of people out here. Brian exited the car, shut the door and paced across the street towards another similar looking building, hands deep in the pockets of his overcoat.

“What are you doing on the wrong side of the Dome, handsome?” Brian assumed it was some Eleventh’s hustlers jesting at him from the opposite side of the street, so he paid no attention. “Take me with you!”

Some people at the Seventeenth were marching, parading, voting and doing hell knows what else to clear their district from short-dozens completely, but some profited off of the workers that were usually ready to do almost anything as long as they could make money here. So, the order stayed the same: while for the most part Seventeenth was clean, typically looking like your average blue-color middle-class district, some neighborhoods (like this one) that were closer to the Eleventh were still infested with hustlers, drug dealers, and black-market traders. 

But it was still Seventeenth officially, so even people that lived there usually got better treatment from anyone than those who were born in the Eleventh. 

Brian got into the building by just using his police microchip (it worked pretty much everywhere around here, except for the apartment doors), and ran up the stairs two at a time. Actually, they were supposed to be an escalator, and last time Brian was here they worked. The inside of the building was shadowy, the floors wet, and the stale air smelled like something Brian had no desire to identify. 

Noticing with slight content that four floors didn’t cause him to lose his breath, Brian smashed his opened palm against the massive door in front of him several times.

“Lindsay!” he called and got no answer for a whole half a minute. “Lindsay, I know you’re there.” Leaning slightly on the railing behind him, he let out a sigh and muttered: “Where the hell else would you be.”

He heard a few timid steps, a sound of something falling down from somewhere, a couple of hissed curses and finally the door swung open, revealing a visibly disturbed woman standing in a narrow hallway. She tucked a few stray locks of her matted blond hair behind her ear as her dark-brown eyes stared at Brian with relief. She must have not recognized his voice behind the door and probably thought he was someone else.

“Ah, Brian,” she stated simply and moved a little aside, inviting him in. “It’s been a while.”

“A-plus for your observation skills,” Brian quipped flatly, stepping swiftly past her and inside the apartment: “I need you.”

“Believe it or not, I figured,” Lindsay drawled sarcastically before shutting the door and letting the old security system locks screech and click as they closed. “It’s never just a friendly visit with you.”

They both proceeded into the tiny living room. It was nearly pitch-black inside, since Lindsay’s birds got upset if there were too much neon lights flashing around, so she covered her windows and used a bunch of lamps instead. She didn’t have any helpful tech around except for the security system and overall lived somewhat like a hermit, usually depending on Brian for any at all social interactions. They met way back in high school and have been friends ever since, so nine years ago, when a twenty-three-year-old Brian dispatched after a call from some shopkeeper in Seventieth claiming there was a usage of abilities on his premises, he was more than surprised to find Lindsay as a suspect. 

The shopkeeper didn’t know exactly what happened and how, and Lindsay seemed to know even less, so Brian managed to convince the old man that his alarm went off simply because it was broken and write the call off the record. Only later did Lindsay confess that she, in fact, had the strangest power Brian have ever heard of: animal possession. She managed to hide it really well for twenty-three years, since any at all animals were a rarity in Zion, except for maybe rats and occasional birds outside of the Dome. But this time she got carried away and somehow couldn’t control it.

Ever since that day Lindsay got obsessively scared that she will slip up again and eventually get herself chipped. So, she abandoned her cozy studio in the center of Seventeenth only to move here, with Brian vowing that he will protect her if anything were to happen. However, in exchange he convinced her to train her powers better and several times they actually came in handy during his investigations, despite Lindsay thinking that in current day and age they were less than useless.

Slowly Lindsay managed to figure out that it took a couple of possessions to “claim” a bird and be able to enter its mind from a distance, so she kept about five crows and maybe three pigeons in large cages hanging above the ceiling. 

“You want anything?” Lindsay asked as Brian stopped in the middle of the tiny room, looking way to tall for the place. “I mean to drink, maybe. I don’t mean my useless power.”

“Well, obviously, I want your _useless power,”_ Brian unbuttoned his overcoat, since the air in the apartment was way to warm for his liking. “Maybe it means it’s not that useless, after all. As for the drink, I’m good.”

“People are out there reading minds, Brian!” Lindsay scoffed as she pulled a dark blanket off of one of the cages. Brian winced at the loud croaking that immediately filled the room. “Settings things on fire, going invisible…” 

“… envisioning future,” he chimed in absentmindedly, pulling an old chair from behind the dining table to then straddle it. 

_“Envisioning future!”_ Lindsay repeated, mocking amazement and descended into a soft dusty armchair with a large crow on her shoulder. “And here I am, a… I don’t even know how to call it. A warg?”

“A bird-possessing enthusiast,” Brian smirked at her briefly, returning to his serious self after as he stretched his arms over the back of his chair. “Now to business. Ever heard of Justin Taylor?”

Lindsay would never admit it, but living without the holovision was hard on her, so as a replacement she used her birds to fly above Eleventh, where no one would pay them any attention, picking up bits and pieces of some local news. Brian knew that, and Lindsay knew that he did, yet she always pretended otherwise anyway.

“Can’t say I haven’t,” she admitted reluctantly. “People in the Eleventh seem to like him.” As she realized she broke the act, Lindsay made a quick attempt to correct herself: “I mean, not that I know…”

“Whatever,” Brian cut in quickly, not having any time in joining Lindsay’s usual game. “I need you to spend as much time above Eleventh as you can, listening to whatever you can hear about Taylor out there. Also, try and scout further into the abandoned districts to maybe catch a sight of him. If you find anything, and I mean _anything_ suspicious out there, call me immediately.” 

“That’s a handful,” Lindsay replied, seeming very cheerful at a chance to use her powers for some good. She placed her crow on her lap and gently petted it's feathers. “But I think we can manage.”

“One more thing,” Brian frowned, finally getting to the hardest part. “I need your bird under the Dome.”

The crow on Lindsay’s lap let out a horrifying screech as Lindsay pulled on its feathers way too hard. “Are you out of your mind, Brian?” She shrilled, staring at the man in disbelief. “Everybody knows there are no birds under the Dome. They’ll kill it if they notice! If I lose a bird…”

“I’ll get you another,” Brian replied as he rose from his chair impatiently. “Hell, I’ll go hunting at the Eleventh myself. Happy?”

“Even if I agree to it, there is no way,” Lindsay lowered her voice, trying to soothe her bird, so the rest of her phrase was a hissed whisper: “Because, and I have no idea how that wee little tiny detail passed your notice, but there are no birds under the Dome because it’s _a Dome,_ Brian! How am I supposed to fly through?”

Brian, to his own displeasure, felt like he is getting angry again and for once actually contemplated quitting drugs. However, the doubts did not last longer than a few seconds.

“If you quit your pathetic attempts at sarcasm and think a little,” he told Lindsay, as collected as he could be. “Maybe, just maybe you will realize that I now live under there and I also have a car. So, say yes already and hand me the fucking bird.”

“I don’t even know what is it that you want!” Lindsay exclaimed, scaring the bird yet again. “What is so important to make you break the law?”

_“Break the law,”_ Brian scoffed. “It’s not even an offence. They’ll just kill the bird and be done with it if they notice.” He kept standing, looming over Lindsay’s chair, which in the near-complete darkness looked a little intimidating. “I want you to fly around Veracity, let’s say… floor eighty?” 

“Brian, that’s crazy,” Lindsay responded before Brian tapped on his wrist for a holo-panel to appear and stretched his hand out to show her a picture of Craig Taylor. 

“Familiar by any chance?” he jerked an eyebrow as Lindsay stared at the picture for several seconds.

“Some big shot cybernetics guy,” she finally answered and darted an upwards glance at Brian. “You want me to spy on him?”

“Maybe,” Brian bit the inside of his cheek as he buried his hands deep inside his pockets and rocked on the balls of his feet. “He has a daughter. A teenage girl, blond, thin. Any interaction between them is interesting to me.” He fixed a serious look on Lindsay. “And worth a call.”

For a few moments there was complete silence, disrupted only by the rustle of the caged birds. Finally, Lindsay let out a deep sigh and said: “Fine. I’ll give it a chance.”

“I’m not asking you to do anything that you can’t do, Linds,” Brian’s face softened as he looked at her. “Now hand me the bird, I have places to go.”

Brian still wasn’t sure it was wise, asking Lindsay to watch over Taylor and his kids. He came up with this decision hastily and acted without much thought. However, with Lindsay’s agreement his anger seemed to fade away, so he felt a lot better.

“No way in hell I’m letting you carry him,” Lindsay muttered with distrust as she scooped the bird off of her lap and got up from the chair. “I’ll walk you to your car.”


	7. There Will Come Rain

**District 29, 2270.**

“That can’t go on, Craig,” the Mayor said quietly, wanting to sound menacing, yet failing to do so. “If anyone finds out I allowed a repdigit to stay right here in Veracity, under my nose! Do you not understand what is going to happen?”

“My daughter is not _a repdigit_ ,” Craig Taylor hissed in response. “I trusted you, Jim. Hobbs Senior trusted you!”

“And now there are cops asking questions!” Jim finally snapped, jumping to his feet. “And Hobbs pushing me. All because of your damned kids, Taylor.”

The very same office that the police were questioning Craig in was now dimly lit by a few floor lamps and city lights coming through the large window. It was raining today, which was a pretty rare occasion under the Dome, considering the public weather voting. Molly loved the rain though, so by an unspoken custom that she and her father had, he would let her walk out of the suite and stay outside for a bit, as long as she didn’t leave The Trinity and wore her Stub.

The only kind of removable Stub ever manufactured, made especially for her by Chris Hobbs’s father. Clerks on the reception knew Craig well and were always willing to watch over his precious daughter through the glassy see-though doors of Veracity. 

“Justin… is lost,” Craig Taylor lamented, looking at the Mayor’s figure outlined by the Trinity lights outside. “I was way too scared to lose my business back then, my reputation… so I gave him up. He hated me for it his whole life, so I never even tried to make amends. And now I don’t think I can save him. You saw what he did. Molly, on the other hand…” Craig’s eyes trailed away from Stockwell, full of despair. “She is the only child I have left, Jim. She is young, innocent. She doesn’t know life.”

“If these cops pry further, you can’t protect her,” Jim replied drily, looking at Craig over his shoulder. “I think Chris is suspecting something. After his father’s death, all the files on all the manufactured items went to him. There is a transaction between you and Hobbs Senior for Molly’s device on there,” the Mayor turned around to face Taylor with a stern expression on his face. “Even being a halfwit like Hobbs Junior, it’s impossible to overlook.”

“Chris is not a halfwit. At least not as much as he’d like us to think,” Craig chuckled bitterly before raising his voice. “You helped him get these cops here, Jim. I don’t understand.”

“I didn’t account for your daughter running around flaunting her power in front of them, did I?” Jim shot back, moving towards the exit. “Even if I did agree to keep silence, Craig, it doesn’t mean I want to go down with you or your children. If Hobbs wants to make an example out of Justin Taylor and teach all the damned short-dozens a lesson, I won’t give two shits. Same goes for Molly.”

“The thinks she can help him,” was the quiet reply as the Mayor stopped before the doors that were already opened. “Keeps saying he is in danger…”

Jim Stockwell just stood there for a moment, feeling the familiar unease as his heartrate went up. Despite being a mayor in this day and age, not all things could be cured, and his kidney condition was making itself known from time to time. He hated to admit it, but the only thing that kept him alive was the special device, implanted by the best surgeons under the Dome, but smuggled for the Mayor from outside of Zion. He wasn’t going to trust anyone in the city with this information, especially Hobbs’s engineers, even if they were the best. After all, trusting Hobbs just proved way too dangerous, at least for Craig Taylor.

“He is,” the Mayor growled before leaving Craig to his own thoughts. Feeling extremely weak, just as usual during his sickness outbreaks, he nodded at his bodyguard letting him know they were leaving. 

He couldn’t wait for the elevator ride to be over. Even if his own headquarters were in the same building several floors above, at this very moment Veracity seemed endlessly tall.

All the way down on the rainy Trinity square, right under the see-through overhang stood Molly Taylor. The overhang was attached to the weekly weather voting screen, that had just been reset. The girl eyed the square eagerly, especially interested in passersby that were dropping under the overhang near her, pressing their microchip to the voting screen. Each time she saw someone vote her face got grim. 

Probably, she didn’t agree with their choice. Being only fourteen, she had no Twenty-Ninth denizen chip yet, therefore couldn’t vote herself. 

Chris Hobbs could see her through the tinted window of his car. He eyed the area lazily, trying to determine if anyone was around to observe Molly while she was on her walk. From what he heard, Craig Taylor was quite protective of his daughter and only let her out once in a while. So, Chris put his people to look after Trinity and had his driver get him here as soon as he got a word from them. 

“Do you want me to carry your umbrella, Sir?” one of the bodyguards asked as Chris stepped out of the car and on to the glistening pavement.

“No need. I’ll go alone,” Chris replied simply, opening the umbrella himself. Umbrellas nowadays weren’t much of a necessity, since nearly all of the outwear was water resistant and rains under the Dome didn’t happen that often. Chris merely used the umbrella to protect his hair. “What I want you to do is distract that reception clerk for me. I want to speak to Miss Taylor unsupervised.”

“Sure, Mr. Hobbs,” was the instant response. 

Chris, holding his umbrella in one hand and keeping the other one in the pocket of his black slacks, crossed the square nonchalantly. The Dome above was blueberry dark, with rare sparkles of yellow; the air was thick and moist, indicating that the rain will probably end soon. Chris, to his own surprise, found himself enjoying this weather far more than he would have thought. As he approached the voting screen, pretending to contemplate his choice of the next week’s weather, Molly Taylor paid him immediate attention. He smirked, watching her in the corner of his eye, and stood a while just to intrigue her even more.

“I have no idea who would vote for rain,” Chris shrugged, turning away from the screen without actually making a choice and raised his eyebrow. “Do you?” 

“I love rain,” Molly confessed as Hobbs, now standing under the overhang beside her, folded his umbrella and shook the excess water off. “It’s… peaceful.”

Chris was a little disappointed with himself for not winning her approval right away. He could be charming when he wanted to be and he definitely wanted to use it now. They stood silently for a moment, just eyeing the passersby and the square, especially shiny on a rainy day like this. Chris waited for the girl to recognize him, since he used to be a guest at Taylor’s house a couple of times, not to mention his face on the billboards all over Twenty-Ninth. 

“Wait, I know you,” surely, it didn’t take her long. “You’re Chris Hobbs, right? Our fathers… used to be friends.”

“You’re right, Molly,” Chris performed his best endearing smile and probed: “I knew your brother as well. Justin.”

Chris spent hours looking at Justin Taylor’s file and was more than intrigued by just what kind of future predicting power he had. He also studied his picture and now could say that the girl looked a whole lot like her brother: bright blue eyes, light blond hair, pouty lips. Chris could have called her beautiful, but she was way too young. Pretty, though. Definitely a pretty girl.

They also seemed to share some of the emotional expressions; he noticed that when the girl frowned slightly and gave him an uncertain upward look.  


“You did?” she asked.

She knew Justin Taylor was one of the people that ruined Chris’s store, that was probably why she appeared confused at the general warmth in his tone of voice. Chris desperately wanted to rush their encounter and felt eager to have the girl’s trust right this second, but knew better than that. He had to take things slowly. 

“Yes, I remember him,” Chris jerked a corner of his lips and chuckled: “Not that he let me forget.”

Molly turned away from him, still frowning. Chris knew that this conversation was probably a lot for her to handle, so he stayed silent. Through the veil of rain and a set of shiny glass doors of Veracity’s ground floor he could make out a reception clerk being distracted by one of his bodyguards. If he wanted to succeed and not scare Molly away, they had to move out of the receptionist’s sight, since any time soon his bodyguard might run out of things to bother the clerk with. Chris was glad he decided to take the useless umbrella with him after all.

“Would you walk with me, Molly?” he extended his elbow for her to hold and raised an eyebrow in question. Seeing her hesitate, he added with a brief smile: “I promise I won’t steal you for long.”

That always worked. Chris might not have been the brightest when it came to business or developing technologies, as his father was, but he knew people. That was probably one of the reasons why he kept Hobbs Enterprises afloat, despite Hobbs Senior’s board of directors being horrified by a mere idea of him taking the CEO position. He could convince when there was a chance to, and charm where there was none. 

“Okay,” the girl let out a tiny, barely audible giggle as she wrapped her arm around his carefully. They began their walk, Chris almost feeling the words ready to escape her mouth. And they did: “Father says you want Justin in jail.”

“It’s complicated,” Chris replied confidingly, jolting his umbrella open. He held it up above both of their heads as he continued: “See, Molly, I might be the only person who understands why these kids… why your brother did that.”

The girl was being cautious, Chris could tell. She wasn’t sure how much she could share with him and why was he even here, but the best part was: he already knew it all. After the incident with the store Chris became vengeful; he wanted to teach these pathetic idiots a lesson not to mess with him. However, the deeper he dug into the information on the case and about the participants, the more interesting it appeared. He ended up realizing that Molly Taylor wasn’t quite the ordinary girl her father wanted her to seem.

He allowed himself a quick glance at her Stub while she wasn’t looking. His father had outdone himself this time: an elegant thin choker with a small shiny pendant was wrapped around Molly’s neck. The pendant glared blue, like every Stub did, but didn’t draw any attention, seeming like just an accessory. How in the world did Hobbs Senior come up with a way to influence the neural activity distantly, without the insertion, Chris had no idea. What he knew was that he needed every single file and all the data he could find on this, along with his best engineers. 

“They ruined your store, Mr. Hobbs,” Molly turned to Chris, trying to sound way more formal than she’d want to; neon flashing on her fair-skinned face. Her expression was stern, she was testing him. “I don’t understand why would you let that go. Actually, you didn’t, since the police is still looking for my brother.” 

“Chris, please. And, it’s just one store, Molly,” Chris replied softly, feeling the grip on his elbow tighten. Was she nervous? “After all, the whole district _is_ my store. Don’t you think witch-hunting a bunch of oppressed kids that grew up treated like vermin for the sole reason of being who they are is a slight overreaction?” 

“That’s exactly what I think,” the girl muttered, seemingly lost. She didn’t know what to make of him, Chris thought, but she was already in doubts. He smothered a smirk while Molly continued: “Why are you doing it then?”

“That’s exactly why I came here to see you,” Chris told her, holding an intriguing pause.

They passed the busiest area of the Trinity and now people were walking by them rarer and rarer. The rain seemed to slowly cease, leaving the air around them heavy; Chris noticed the dense white fog thicken as he carefully closed the umbrella with one hand, while the elbow of his other hand was still held by Molly. Usually, even on the rainy days, it was always comfortably warm under the Dome. However, considering the fog now it seemed way too chilly for comfort.

The girl was walking quite close, so Chris felt her tremble just a little. She was wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a thin long-sleeved shirt, probably not anticipating staying outside for as long as she did. Contemplating for a moment if he was risking to overdo being charming or not, Chris decided for the latter eventually. At the end of the day, all background events forgotten and all the titles stripped down, he was just a man walking beside a freezing girl. He took off his jacket – this fall’s collection, probably more expensive than the whole Eleventh with all the damned repdigits in it – and gently wrapped it around Molly’s shoulders, hearing a quiet gasp of surprise but encountering no resistance. 

“You shouldn’t have,” she said quietly and in contrast with her own words, snuggled herself inside the jacket, seeming way more relaxed than she did a minute ago. “So, Mr. Hobb… Chris. Why _are_ you here?”

Chris let out a sigh, wanting to seem like he’s thinking on his answer. In reality, he had it rehearsed in his head already, or at least some of it. 

“Believe it or not, Molly, I want to help,” Chris replied eyeing the park they were about to head into. Real trees were a rarity nowadays and were only kept here, under the Dome. “I can make a lot happen, I’m an influential man. But… I’m not the Mayor. Stockwell hates Eleventh, you know that. He wants to put Justin in jail.” 

“Probably, if not kill him,” Molly whispered, frowning once again. She wasn’t holding on to Chris’s arm anymore. “And just what are you getting out of this?” 

Chris stopped under the shining lamppost, looking right at Molly. She was so small, a lot shorter than he had expected her to be. And in his jacket, she looked absolutely tiny. Defenseless. Keeping his hands deep in the pockets of his slacks for warmth, Chris looked at her choker, now knowing full well that Molly is aware of his glance.

“With your help, we can get rid of Stockwell,” he said simply, as if it was something mundane and quite obvious. “He is way too orthodox for this City. We can change that if someone young were to take his post.”

“Like you?” she darted a hesitant look up at Chris, and something told him she understands that “getting rid” of Stockwell meant something permanent. “How am I supposed to help you, Chris?”

Chris stepped closer to her, looming over her tiny frame, and clouds of their warm breath were mixing in the air. He knew he cannot afford to scare her, especially now, but couldn’t help himself reaching his hand to her neck and gently touching the shiny pendant. His fingers brushed briefly against Molly’s skin and she shivered at the touch.

“Don’t play coy with me, Miss Taylor,” he smiled softly, removing his hand in an instant. “I know my father’s work when I see it. It’s impressive.” 

She expected it. Chris saw a mixture of fear and humility on her face. That’s not something he wanted to entice, however. For now, he wanted Molly to feel passionate about the idea of helping her brother.

“I don’t want to scare you, Molly,” he said, and that was true. “I’m not the enemy. I’m just as tired of Zion being this way as you and Justin are. Stockwell is the one who organized this hunt, brought more police force. He wants Justin and his friends to be an example, a lesson.” These words coming from Chris himself were so ironic that it took him a great deal of strength not to smile. “He is old and is stuck to his ways. I can change that, Molly. With your ability to see the future-”

“I don’t see the future. I never did,” she interrupted him with disappointment. “The past was always what I saw, sometimes present. That was how I was able to see Justin and our time together. I see a lot of him, actually.”

If siblings do share power, they usually share the same kind. He knew that from all of his research on Justin Taylor and the repdigits in particular. It wasn’t certain, since nothing with supernatural abilities was ever certain, but the chance of Molly’s power being something else was very small. And now this. She saw the past, and her damned short-dozen brother saw the future. Acquiring them both would make Chris unstoppable. 

It was perfect. It only made things so much better.

“That’s even better,” he couldn’t hold the smile this time, but tried to make it reassuring instead of poisonous. “That can help me a great deal, Molly. You know a lot of secrets, don’t you? Isn’t it hard to keep them all to yourself?”

“Sometimes,” the girl confessed vaguely, staring at her feet now. She was hesitant, even with Chris’s gentle approach. He could understand her, this whole thing was a lot to take in during one short walk. “Does the Mayor really want to kill Justin?”

They resumed walking, turning to a wide alley that led back to the square. Somehow Chris understood that prolonging this outing wasn’t going to make things better, but quite the opposite. Molly had to have time on her own to adjust. 

“Hard to tell,” Chris shrugged, knowing full well that Stockwell didn’t give a single damn about the kids. “I think he is scared of rebellious types. They could break his whole system, which does give him a reason to pursue your brother, maybe not to kill, but to put in jail for sure.”

“Father would never help Justin, he is too scared for his own reputation,” Molly snorted, slowing her pace. Chris noticed that and couldn’t help but think she was enjoying the walk, even if she didn’t understand that herself.

“I could have your father under my thumb if I’d wanted to,” Chris scoffed, but noticed he went way too far as soon he caught Molly’s disapproving look. Despite her talking the way she did, she cared about her father. It was time to make his voice sound as warm and trustworthy as he could, Chris thought: “Now, Molly, if you want to help your brother, there is one thing I want you to share with me. Or maybe several things, that depends on you.”

“You want Stockwell’s secrets,” she stopped once again, squeezing herself under the jacket and looked at Chris apprehensively, yet with a spark of excitement. “Something that will give you an advantage. And I think I might know just the thing.”

It caused Chris all of his willpower not to start barking orders at her and make her tell. Instead, he stopped beside her, looking at the Trinity’s neon lights spilled all over the alleyway, and smiled a careful, awaiting smile.

“I don’t suppose you are ready to share, are you, Miss Taylor?” he asked her. _What was it that she saw?_

Molly glanced at him, seemingly not afraid any longer, and continued walking towards the square. He noticed the impatience in her eyes, dimmed by hesitation, and smirked at himself as he followed her. So far, this whole encounter was playing out just like he planned it. 

“I’m still not sure I could trust you,” she finally explained the silence as they stepped out of the alley and back on to the shiny Trinity square. “I have to think about it, Chris.”

He could have blackmailed her. He could have told her she was going to end up at the Eleventh like her good-for-nothing brother. He could have scared her with his power and influence, but all he did was nod in pretended understanding, walking alongside her. This was not the time to push.

“I won’t pressure you, Molly,” he reassured her, spotting the weather voting screen in his line of sight, but stopping right near the entrance, the way so the clerk won’t see them. “You know, we can always meet again.”

“My father only lets me out when it’s raining,” she sighed bitterly. “He would never have let me go on for a walk otherwise. And, like you said, people never vote for rain under here. Who knows when it rains next time?”

 _Valuable information, Chris. Act carefully, Chris,_ he kept telling himself. It looked like he had to force every single one of his employees under the Dome to change their preferred weather votes to god damned rain next week. It wasn’t too difficult, they were scared of him and would do anything to keep their jobs, he just didn’t anticipate the hassle. 

“Well, how about… next Tuesday?” Chris gave her one of his always prepared charming smiles and saw her stare back in disbelief. “I can make a lot happen, Molly. With you help, even more.”

It was starting to get a little warmer finally, and Molly reluctantly removed his jacket off of her shoulders. Chris was about to suggest for her to keep it, but at the last moment thought that it’d be better if her father didn’t see. 

“Alright,” the girl said simply and held her outstretched hand towards him. “Your jacket.”

Chris bowed at her playfully as he accepted the jacket, which earned him a tiny, silvery giggle. She was starting to like him, he could tell. They stood there for a little while, and silence somehow didn’t feel awkward. Maybe because Chris’s mind was full of his newest plans. He was going to say his goodbyes, but a slight buzz of his mobile device distracted him. Christ pulled it out of his pocket; the message on the screen stated that the clerk had just noticed Molly’s absence and is going to look for her.

Not a moment too soon.

“I think it’s time for me to vote,” Chris gestured towards the voting screen behind his back before fixing his look back on the girl. “And for you to have a good night sleep, Miss Taylor.”

“I… I enjoyed the walk,” Molly admitted shyly, throwing a quick glance over her shoulder, at the glass doors of Veracity. She also noticed that their unexpected outing took way too long and her father is probably worried now. “I’ll think everything over. Thank you, Chris. And goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Chris echoed as she hurried back inside the tower and stood still until she disappeared behind the door.

When she was finally gone, he threw his jacket over his shoulder and walked lazily to his car; the driver still waiting for his return. 

He was sure the girl will come around sooner or later. He knew people.

**Hope 2193, 2270.**

“There you go, sweetie,” Deb cooed as she removed her palm off of Daphne’s neck. “Good as new.”

Daphne was the only one who actually decided to get rid of her scar. Maybe, it was strategically wise, since no one would be able to suspect them having powers, but Justin held way too much attachment to the long, ragged line just below his chin. It defined him, in more ways than one. It reminded him of things he didn’t want to forget. It was white now, nearly dissolved, much less noticeable than Cody’s. Cody was probably the one with the deepest, ugliest scar of all of them.

Yet, he would have never erased it either.

Debbie, or Deb (that’s what everyone called her anyway) was the very same woman Darren talked about before they reached Hope. She could heal pretty much any fresh wound, burn, injury or remove a scar from one’s skin without as much as a trace. She was also loud and sometimes seemed a little overprotective over the people that lived at the orphanage, which were not many. Most of them preferred to work and live at the Eleventh and just come to Hope to help with groceries or repairments. Among the ones that actually spend their full time at the place were Justin and three of his friends, the twins, Deb and her brother Vic, who shared a power with her, Ben and Tracy, who they met at the same evening they arrived.

Ben had an eight-year-old daughter named Jenny Rebecca, whom everyone referred to as JR, and the power of being extremely, unnaturally strong. He could lift things a normal human would never lift, and break things that seemed unbreakable to anyone else. He also looked the part, being a hunk of a man he was in his late thirties. However, all the times that Justin spoke to him, Ben seemed like just a polite, well-educated guy who loved his little daughter.

Tracy, a skinny, timid brunette woman that preferred to hide upstairs most days, hasn’t removed her Stub yet. She was way too scared to find out about her power, but brave enough to join people at Hope. Nobody pushed her, and Justin wouldn’t have dared to either. She appeared to be kind and understanding, and the only one who didn’t seem to like her was Cody. For him, wearing your Stub was a sign of being a coward.

Justin agreed with him, but liked Tracy nonetheless. 

There were also a few people that would drop by sometimes, but having spent two days here, Justin didn’t get a chance to meet a lot of them, he only heard of them from Darren and Shanda so far. He knew, however, that as soon as they start on their plan, they would need all the help they can get. 

“If they don’t let you, I’ll help you,” Justin heard Cody say as he descended the stairs into the basement and stopped at the middle. “You’ve got this, Hunter, I believe in you.”

“Thanks, man,” Hunter replied quietly.

They called it “the war table” as a joke. The basement at Hope used to be somewhat of a conference room for the teachers, although Justin did not understand why they picked that of all places. However, it was large, lit by several low-hanging lamps and kept a huge, long table at the very middle. The war table.

“The tape is ready, so all you have to do is deliver,” Cody proceeded, while Justin frowned, realizing where this was going. “If you trigger any alarms while you’re at it, just get the fuck out.”

The very first day they arrived, after having some hot food, a much-needed shower and some rest, they explored the place a little, while wondering what was it that they were going to do next. Justin had the idea for a very long time, just never really shared it with anyone. It was simple: they record a message for Zion’s citizens and the Mayor in particular, stating that they weren’t just some mindless rebels, but had a purpose. And wanted to be accepted. Cody urged Justin to add some threats, but Justin thought better of it. He wanted at least an attempt at convincing the people first.

They didn’t actually need any recording devices since Ben happened to have one of the memory sharing sticks on him. Memories in this century were widely sold and exchanged, all you needed to do was just press the stick behind your ear for a couple of moments and concentrate to record. And then it was available for anyone to see, as long as they had a platform to stream it. Sticks were a rare and expensive thing though, so Justin was grateful for Ben allowing them to use his. Especially considering that he wasn’t getting it back. At least it seemed so, from what Cody and Hunter were planning.

“What’s up?” Justin heard Daphne ask behind his back as she nearly stumbled upon him on the dark staircase. She put her hands on both of his shoulders, pushing him forward and prompting him to go down the stairs.

That was enough sound to attract Cody and Hunter’s attention, and now Justin had no choice but to finish his descent, entering the dimly lit room with a table in the middle. Hunter sat on top of the table while Cody occupied one of the chairs, toying with the memory stick in his hands. They both knew immediately that Justin had heard them.

“I’ll do it,” Hunter stated simply, a determined and confidant glare fixed on Justin. “I’m the quickest one.”

“No,” Justin and Daphne said in unison. She understood what Hunter was talking about very quickly, since the only thing on their minds was the tape and how to air it.

“I always wanted to see Veracity,” Hunter continued, less serious now. He rolled his eyes, probably imagining the tower. “They say it’s huge. Much like my balls if I come through with this plan.”

“Come on, guys, that’s the only chance we’ve got!” Cody exclaimed, rising to his feet, and he was surely not the one to be joking right now. “We’ve got to do something.”

Justin realized they were right. Getting there all together would be way too long of an adventure, and passing the Dome border would be the nearly impossible part of it. If only he could be sure that Hunter won’t get hurt or, worst of all, captured. All he needed to do was get to Veracity and drop the stick there, somewhere around the government news channel studio. The address was easy to find online, which they did already without even being sure how to get there.

Justin stepped towards Cody and took the stick out of his unresisting hands. All they had left to do was record a message that would inevitably attract attention. 

“This is some big Justin Taylor news,” he said in a loud voice, trying to sound confident, but feeling pretty silly, as he tapped the sensory button on the side of the stick and held it to his mouth. “You better air it while you have the chance.”

Hunter glanced at him in disbelief as Justin finished the recording and tossed the stick at him. He hated making this decision, but seemingly had no other choice. Hunter caught it mid-air and hid it in the pocket of his jeans the same second.

“I can’t believe you going along with this,” Daphne muttered, crossing her arms on her chest. “We could have just gone all together, like we did when we trashed the store.”

“Way too difficult,” Cody told her, excited at challenging the government as usual. “Plus, the store was in the Seventeenth. And this is Trinity we’re talking about, it’s different.”

Justin didn’t pay any attention to Cody and Daphne’s exchange, his eyes studying Hunter’s face for as much as a shadow of doubt. He didn’t see any; Hunter was just as determined as a few moments ago, staring back at Justin as if he was waiting for any further instructions.

“I’m only letting you do this on one condition,” Justin finally clarified, getting the attention of everyone in the room. “In case if anything goes wrong, anything at all, doesn’t matter if you drop the stick where we planned or not, just get the hell out. Immediately. Understood?”

There was a moment of brief silence, during which Cody just looked impatient, Daphne stared at Justin disapprovingly, and Justin himself patiently waited for his answer.

“I got it, man,” Hunter finally said and, before anyone had anything else to say, disappeared out of sight with the familiar _swish_ sound.


	8. Touched With Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ll just warn you that Callie is a severe case of OOC here in my opinion. There are now so many characters it’s hard to keep track :)
> 
> Ah, and the message on the tape was totally inspired by Markus from Detroit: Become Human (in case anyone notices some similarities). That game actually inspires me quite a lot.
> 
> Thank you for reading.

**District 29, 2270.**

They only showed the pre-cut version on the news, but the police got the full tape. The memory wasn’t prepared properly and started out with some chatter and a clear, silvery giggle.

Justin Taylor was giggling. 

“We’re rolling!” was the voice of the person looking at those on the screen. Brian’s holo-panel above his desk immediately identified it as one of James Montgomery.

The kids were smart not to include anyone the policemen haven’t already seen before in the memory, otherwise they might have risked giving out another possible lead. So, that left only four of them: Hunter memorizing the events and serving as a recorder behind the image, soft-spoken, but confident Justin Taylor in the middle, his loyal hound Cody Bell right behind his left shoulder and curly-haired Daphne Chanders to his right.

Brian swiped to the left on the holo-panel to rewind and stared at the screen intently. The memory-card used was one of the cheaper ones, so it only recorded a 2D video. Something behind the scene must have amused Justin Taylor and he smiled. _And he giggled._

And somehow that echoed somewhere in Brian’s chest, making him feel tingly anxious, which he absolutely hated; (it also made his dick twitch, and that was definitely a reaction he was more accustomed to, despite the fact that this certainly wasn’t the place or the time). Brian did go out the other night and even managed to pick up a trick that looked incredibly similar to Taylor. Maybe he did it more than once. But it wasn’t helping with the longing at all. 

Justin had one wide, warm, dashing smile that seemed to light up the room he was in. Finally seeing his face in good quality was different from the previous tape, so Brian kept rewinding, each time finding something new, a small detail that he overlooked before. The boy had grown into a remarkably beautiful man; his golden hair glowing in the dim lights of the room, creating an angel-like halo around his head. 

“Quit clowning, Hunter!” growled Cody on the tape, turning his face to Justin. Brian couldn’t help but notice the devoted expression he wore. “Ready, Justin?” 

Taylor kept his head down for a moment, gaining composure, then threw a quick glance at Daphne over his shoulder to receive an approving node from her. His face turned confident, stern. 

“We’re rolling!” Hunter yelled, and this was where the newsmen cut it, only releasing the essential part.

The police already acquired a statement from the Veracity clerk that had found the memory stick. According to him, a coffee-carrier robot in one of the corridors was distracted by the stick, thinking it was being ordered something by a human, so eventually someone went to check where the purchased coffee was and heard Justin’s pre-recorded voice. Brian had to admit that for Justin to introduce himself was also a pretty smart idea, since that was the only thing that caught the attention. Taylor was a well-known last name in Twenty-Ninth, after all. 

“I’m sure you already know our names,” Justin began, sounding soft enough, but self-assured at the same time. “But they don’t matter. What matters is there are a lot of us and we will not keep silence any longer. For centuries we were oppressed, isolated, and treated like sub-humans because of the orthodox, outdated ideology and the old order of this city. And we will allow it no more.”

Brian’s eyes were fixed on Justin’s face the entire time of his speech, not missing any expression, any glint of any emotion in his eyes. Justin seemed bold, proud, confident and nothing like the giggling boy that was cut out from the beginning of the tape. Something told Brian that there was much more to Justin Taylor than anyone at the police ever saw in his psychological profile data.

“We don’t want a confrontation. Certainly, we don’t want a war,” Justin continued in a steady voice. “All we want from you is to grant us the rights that we are entitled to.” His quiet companions standing a step behind him looked approving of his words, sometimes nodding silently. “We want to coexist in a society with people that do not have the powers, while having equal rights for everyone in Zion. We want a chance to use the abilities we have for good, obviously, with certain regulations. That is up for a discussion.” 

Justin turned his head slightly to Cody, giving him a chance to speak, and Brian almost felt disappointed not to hear his voice for even a second. With all the rush caused by the tape and the news, he skipped his morning shot to get to work early. Most likely, these were the consequences. 

“We demand that Hobbs Enterprises stops the manufacture of Stubs,” Cody added, much more aggressive than Justin. “We consider this tech to be a degrading attempt to control and belittle us.” 

“We are open for a dialogue,” Daphne chimed in before Cody had a chance to get even more riled up. She was the only one who’s voice trembled a little bit. “We don’t want you to view this message as an attack, because it’s not.”

“It is more of a warning that anything,” Justin picked up, and despite the menacing choice of words there were no actual menace in his voice. He sounded matter-of-factly. “We believe that our cause is justified and worth fighting for.” 

“For now, we are ready to cooperate,” Cody stepped a little ahead, now standing shoulder to shoulder with Justin. “But we want you to know that we will stop at nothing.”

There was a shadow of slight irritation on Justin’s face, as if Cody’s hostility annoyed him. It went away in a matter of seconds, however, as he immediately softened the impact of Cody’s words: “We simply request what should have been granted to us long ago.”

“We truly hope you are able to understand,” Daphne said, still standing slightly behind. “That’s the only reason we are recording this message.”

“We will be waiting for a response from you, Mayor Stockwell,” Justin concluded, looking straight in Hunter’s eyes, which meant his gaze was now fixed right on Brian. “As a representative of Zion’s people.”

The tape ended at that, not containing anything else of value. At the moment, each and every news channel was looping the tape over and over again; endless talk-shows discussing the level of the threat, the possible rebellion, the Dome safety, and hell knows what else. The Mayor hasn’t come out with any statement yet, and it has already been several hours since the tape was aired, which only raised the overall level of panic. Several police enforcement squads were sent over at the Eleventh, but found no sign of Taylor or anything suspicious whatsoever. 

Brian let out a long sigh and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face with both palms tiredly. Vandalizing Hobbs’s store was one thing, but openly challenging the government was another. Brian couldn’t imagine how the Mayor or Hobbs were to react to the tape and what were they going to do. Most likely, nag at him and Michael to find Taylor as soon as possible.

But what will they do when they get him? Brian rewound once more, partially to listen to the record again in search for any clues, but mostly just to hear the contagious breathy giggle. 

He wasn’t afraid to die, he thought. What he was afraid of is dying for some silly cause like protecting Zion’s damned system. Yes, he served it for nearly ten years ever since he graduated, but these were mutual relationship. In return, the system _served him;_ he had the power, he was respected. Brian wasn’t ever the altruistic or heroic type; he rarely did anything if the end result did not bring him any gain. So, dying for the system was not on his agenda.  


Which meant he had to come up with something. 

“Benjamin Bruckner,” Michael proclaimed, tossing the memory sharing stick at Brian right after walking in the office. “The fifth fingerprint belongs to some guy named Benjamin Bruckner.”

Brian’s reflexes, honed during years of police work appeared to be faster than his own mind and he caught the stick flying his way, clutching it in his fist. Doing that, he was still consumed by his own thoughts, so Michael’s information took a good long moment to register.

They sent the stick for a thorough analysis at the very first chance they got, hoping for the exact thing that they ended up finding: more fingerprints. Potentially, that Benjamin Bruckner could lead them to wherever Justin Taylor and his followers were hiding. Strangely, Brian was caught up in mixed emotions.  


He felt annoyed at the fact that he depended on Justin Taylor with his life in quite literal meaning, yet he couldn’t help but also sense _pride,_ at least a little bit. His soulmate had some balls and now led the newly formed resistance; he fought for something. Brian wasn’t just matched with some trembling teenager anymore, but with a grown-up man who saw clearly what he wanted and went for it without any hesitation or fear.

“Brian?” Michael called timidly, stepping towards his friend’s desk. “Chief Horvath wants us to find this Benjamin guy, I just saw him out in the corridor. He said he wanted to come by, but all the hassle with the tape is a pain in the ass, so… Brian?”

“I heard you,” Brian replied curtly, memory stick still clutched in his hand, staring at the paused shot of giggling Justin Taylor. “Benjamin Bruckner it is, then.”

Michael sighed softly as he approached Brian’s table and sat at the edge of it, staring at his friend sympathetically. Brian discerned anxiety, some fear, and a slight mix of pity on his face, which he didn’t like at all. Pity annoyed him, especially from Michael. A lot of things about relationship with people for Brian were about power, and pity stripped him of power. He couldn’t have that.

“Let’s just get this over with, Mikey,” Brian growled under his breath and added in a softer tone: “Nag away.”

“I’m not going to,” Michael shrugged, crossing his arms on his chest. “It’s not your fault. I’m just… at a loss, Brian. Before we get Taylor, we have to make sure that the Mayor doesn’t want to… kill him.”

“Killing him would be just a little illegal, don’t you think?” Brian chuckled, knowing full well that his argument did not hold any validity whatsoever. Besides, Michael saw through him right away.

“Since when is it about legality?” he raised his voice, his fingers digging into flesh on his own arms in an anxious squeeze. “You know yourself that Stockwell and Hobbs can do whatever they damn please under the Dome! If they get Justin Taylor under here, hell knows what might happen. To him _and_ to you.”

 _“I’m not going to nag,”_ Brian intoned mockingly in a tiny voice, lolling his head back against the chair to look at Michael's face.

“Cut it out, Brian,” Michael snorted in annoyance. “This is serious.”

Brian felt a sudden jolt of anger. As if he didn’t know that. As if giving him a damned headache over the whole thing will make it better. He truly loved Michael, that sole fact probably being the reason why Michael was able to infuriate him like no one else could.

“Guess what, Michael? I know,” Brian stated coldly, meeting Michael’s eyes. There was no way he could ever win a staring contest with Brian, and especially annoyed Brian, so Michael’s glance quickly darted away. “Newsflash: your nagging doesn’t help shit. So lay off. If Horvath wants us to find Bruckner, then that’s what we’re going to do.”

Brian was unable to concentrate anyway, so he swiftly rose to his feet and grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair. Finding the Benjamin guy meant possibly finding Taylor, and finding Taylor meant making sure he was alive. Coincidentally, that also meant making sure that Brian was alive. Then, after all the making sure, Brian would think what he could come up with.

If there was anything at all he could come up with.

“Fine,” Michael said quietly, tagging along after Brian on the way out of their office.

**Hope 2193, 2270.**

It has been several days since the tape was aired, yet no official answer or any kind of statement came. Cody monitored the news obsessively, enjoying the panic they caused under the Dome and in the rest of Zion, but inevitably getting frustrated by the fact that they were pretty much ignored, at least by the Mayor and Hobbs. 

Justin was just happy that Hunter made it out in one piece, not triggering any alarms being a nice side bonus. He was sitting on the backyard porch (it was actually the only kind of porch this building had), staring at Zion in the distance outlined on the orange evening sky. The sounds of a dinner being prepared by Deb and Vic along with JR giggling and the quiet muttering of the holovision set Cody was glued to could be heard through the slightly ajar backdoor. 

Justin felt… cozy. Obviously, only when he managed to forget for a second about the tape and his mother that was probably worried sick about him after everything that went down.

The back of his head tingled and his whole body tensed in a familiar sensation of an upcoming vision, his sight went blurry, yet he resisted with all the strength he had. It was harder and harder every time. He has been suppressing his visions for about a week now, since every single one was about Brian. And lately, they made him feel… numb. Lonely. Pointless. He understood clearly that this was very foolish to deny himself a natural advantage, especially considering things to come, but the feeling of emptiness following each vision was too hard to handle. 

Justin couldn’t even describe it. It was just _void._ If Cody were to find out what Justin was doing, he would probably be pissed to no end.

“You alright?” Justin was actually happy to hear Daphne’s gentle voice; he didn’t mind some company right now. “Darren returned from the Bazaar, a word has it that the police have been searching for Ben.”

“That sucks,” Justin stated simply as Daphne sat down on the porch beside him. “He lost the stick too.”

“He actually didn’t mind, said it was for a good cause,” Daphne shrugged, stretching her legs. “He’s downstairs, you can talk to him later at dinner.”

“I will,” Justin replied curtly, wincing at the pressure in his head. The vision wanted to happen and it was harder and harder to ignore.

“Again?” Daphne put her warm hand on his shoulder and that distracted him a little. She leaned towards him to get a look at his face. “Stop fighting it, Justin. You know you could see something important.”

Daphne was always the only person he was able to fully confide in. Cody and Hunter were his best friends and he would trust them with his life, yet there was no way he would ever share anything about Brian with them. Justin knew Daphne appreciated it because she never once betrayed their special trust, keeping all of Justin’s secrets to herself only. 

“Or I could see him fucking another blond guy that looks like me,” Justin scoffed, shaking his head in an attempt to snap out of his pre-vision state. “I’ll pass.”

“He does that?” Daphne giggled out loud in disbelief. “That means he misses you too, Justin.”

“In his way, maybe,” Justin looked away, trying to get rid of the dizziness. Chances are today he was going to succumb to a vision after all. “We can’t be together anyway.”

Daphne squeezed his shoulder as they watched the last orange cloud patch slowly dim down, diluted darkness filling the sky above them. Deb and Vic were already preparing the dinner table; dishes clattering easily audible behind Justin’s back.

“Have you ever thought that… I mean, even if he doesn’t like you,” Daphne began hesitantly. “Maybe he is scared of dying because of you? Maybe he would want to protect you to, you know, protect himself?”

“He isn’t scared of anything,” Justin replied immediately. “From what I saw, he’s a fucking sociopath. For sure he doesn’t want to die, but scared? No.”

“Well, that means he wouldn’t want to kill you,” Daphne comforted, pressing her cheek against Justin’s shoulder as she stared at the sky pensively. “So that’s good for you too.”

Justin heaved a heavy sigh in response, wrapping his arm around Daphne. Maybe, it wasn’t so bad after all. Even if Brian didn’t want him, Justin still had people that genuinely cared about him, that were ready to follow him to the unknown no matter what, and are still ready to do anything he asks of them. People that he trusts.

“Love you, Daph,” he said quietly. And he meant it; he also knew that Daphne understood exactly in what way.

“Me too,” she echoed simply, and that was all Justin needed to feel a little better. 

They sat there for some more time, just eyeing the sky and neon lights at the distance until it started getting cold. As they were finally about to get up from the porch and join others for dinner, Justin heard a bunch of voices coming from what seemed like the front side of the building. He and Daphne only had time to rise to their feet before Shanda emerged from the hallway behind the backdoor.

“Hey, pretty boy,” she smiled mysteriously, hovering in the doorway. “Come look.”

“When will I ever get used to her calling you that,” Daphne muttered under her breath, causing Justin to giggle. He didn’t mind, since he knew Shanda meant well. She could be slightly overbearing sometimes, but nothing truly irritating.

From the way Shanda behaved Justin could understand that they weren’t in danger, however, following her, he heard more and more voices, loud, arguing about something. He got used to the fact that everyone here accepted him for their leader, and now he would probably need to deal with whatever was going on. On their way around the building they met Cody, exiting through the side door they used as a main entrance. He had a worried look on his face, but visibly relaxed after spotting Justin.

“What’s going on?” he wondered at Daphne and Justin, but both of them just shrugged, exchanging puzzled glances. Daphne nodded towards Shanda moving ahead of them so Cody would follow along.

As they finally managed to walk around the building and reach the front, Justin saw where the voices were coming from. Or who they were coming from, more likely.

On the dusty road, visible due to the only working lamppost around here, stood at least twenty people. Maybe there were more, Justin wasn’t good at headcount since the vision still wanted to break though, distracting him. Most of them looked his age with a couple of exceptions. The first thing he paid attention to was their necks, and a lot of them were wearing bandages. Or had fresh scars. 

Not knowing exactly what to expect from them, Justin still went forward dauntlessly, knowing for sure that Cody was behind his shoulder, ready for anything.

“And a pretty boy he is,” laughed a girl that stood slightly ahead of everyone else. She looked not older than eighteen, wearing a pair of worn-off jeans and a bulky orange hoodie. Her short brunette hair was tousled, bright grayish-blue eyes staring at Justin with a challenge, a spark. Noticing his stern expression, she added: “Relax, I’m kidding with you. Name’s Callie. And these are my boys and girls,” she gestured towards the kids behind her. “East Eleventh’s neighborhood at your disposal.”

“Did you invite them, Shanda?” Cody asked, ignoring the girl.

“Darren and I had spread the word, but didn’t think people would actually come,” Shanda answered in amazement, and judging by her tone of voice Justin realized that she herself just now counted exactly how many people were in front of her. “You guys are here because of the tape?”

“Yeah. We figured it’s about time something had to be done,” Callie said, still only looking at Justin. “And that tape thing is a nice touch. How did you even manage to get under the Dome?” 

“Thanks, I guess,” Justin finally spoke, turning around slightly in search of Hunter, but he was nowhere to be seen. “That’s not my story to tell. So, you’re here to join? All of you?”

“You bet,” exclaimed the guy in a denim jacket behind Callie. “We have more people waiting at the Eleventh, too.”

Darren, followed by Deb, Vic and Ben, appeared behind them, looking worried. However, the sight of smiling Shanda, that appeared to be even more excited than Cody usually got at the thought of more people joining them, seemed to calm them down.

“We have guests for dinner?” Vic puzzled.

“I think it’s more than just for dinner,” Daphne giggled, also loosing some for her previous tension. “Do you think we have enough space?”

“Are you joking?” the guy in a jacket spoke again. “This thing is huge. I ought to know.”

“Jason here sees through walls,” Callie explained, grinning. “And I think he likes what he sees.”

“I also _hear_ through walls,” smirked Jason. “Just a bit of friendly info for the future.”

Justin felt so dizzy that for a second he thought he might faint. The vision was way too persistent this time, not leaving him any choice, but he kept fighting anyway. The reality around him was much more important right now than another one of Brian’s evening in some fancy nightclub under the Dome. 

“Cody?” Justin turned to his friend, wanting to hear his opinion. He knew that Cody would most likely approve, but didn’t want to decide hastily either. 

“Did you guys just walk here?” Cody asked Callie before he gave any final verdict. “Like, all of you? Didn’t you think that might be suspicious?” 

“Don’t worry, we were careful,” Callie deflected in a defensive tone and called out to the crowd: “Corrine?”

Corrine, a woman that seemed slightly older than the rest of the group (or at least people that Justin could see the faces of) stepped near Callie. She had waves of silky, long chocolate-brown hair and a calm, but aware expression on her face.

“I made sure we weren’t followed,” she reassured, looking at Justin and not Cody for some reason. “I can sense danger for miles. Plus, with Jason’s hearing we would have noticed if anyone was around.”

“And if they were after all,” Callie interjected in a smug tone. “They’d be a crisp before they knew it.”

She waved her hand in a well familiar gesture, as anyone with an offensive, harmful power (someone like Cody) usually did. A whiff of scalding hot air swished just past Justin’s face, barely touching his hair, and next thing they knew the ground beneath their feet caught on fire. Justin had never actually seen the real fire, there was simply no need for it in this century. However, he also knew that it could be destructive, and depending on how the future events turn, that might be just the thing they needed. The flame burned bright for a few moments while Callie held her opened palm in the air, but didn’t actually get high enough to be a threat to anyone. All it took to extinguish it was for Callie to clench her hand into a fist.

“You better not be afraid to use it,” Cody told drily, but Justin could tell he was impressed. Anything chaotic and powerful Cody usually approved of. 

“Do I look like I’m afraid?” Callie challenged back, cocking an eyebrow at him. 

They stood before the building for several seconds, Justin taking a good look at everyone in the crowd, still fighting the vision with all the will he had left. _Not the time,_ he kept telling himself. He still couldn’t count them all, but considering some of them had really offensive powers, they could put up fight.

Justin didn’t want to fight. But he also had to think of any and all outcomes. Besides, having Cody around usually made one think abought fighting either way.

“You can come in on one condition,” Justin said in a loud voice, and a quiet chatter in the back of the crowd ceased. “You leave your doubts behind. I don’t want you here if you are not sure _you_ want to be here. Am I clear?”

The crowd answered in assertive muttering, people exchanging glances and nodding at each other. Nobody seemed to want to go back, and at the corner of his eye Justin saw a smirk nestle contently on Cody’s mouth.

“You heard the man!” Callie hollered as one by one people started passing them, hurrying inside. She gave Justin a grateful smile, for the first time since he met her not seeming aggressive. “You won’t regret it.”

“We sure hope so,” Cody glanced at her sharply.

“I better go and carry some of the extra bunk beds from the basement and into the rooms upstairs,” Ben suggested joyfully, and Justin noticed him shaking hands in a greeting with some of the people walking in. “Sure looks like we’re going to need them.”

“Vic and I are going to make sure there’s enough food for everyone,” Debbie said as she turned to walk back inside the building. 

By the time every single person from the crowd entered safely and settled in for dinner it was completely dark. Daphne went in to eat and Cody followed her in a minute to _“keep an eye on everyone”,_ as he worded it. Justin stayed outside, not feeling even slightly hungry, and stared at the long road that disappeared inside the thick foggy darkness ahead. He enjoyed the chilly air breeze on his skin, allowing himself one more moment to try and relax. Away from the heavy thoughts about their future.

Hunter was still nowhere to be seen, but Justin didn’t worry for now. Hunter’s favorite thing almost every evening was to teleport all over the abandoned district to explore, be inevitably late for dinner, and then have Deb fix him some leftovers while she had the joy of scolding him for not being in time.

“Justin,” he heard Callie call out as she approached behind his back. “I just wanted to say thank you. You know, for trusting us.”

“It’s more like you have trusted me,” he shrugged, still eyeing the road. The lamppost above them flickered a few times.

“Maybe so, but you didn’t have to let us in,” Callie continued in a soft voice, much different from the tone she introduced herself in. “If you would have said no, _nobody_ would have let us in. I could tell.” She chuckled. “And Cody would have torn me apart with his bare hands. No power needed.”

“He’ll come around,” Justin promised with a faint smile. 

He didn’t feel like talking at all and only wanted for Callie to leave him alone. But she kept standing beside him silently, as if she was about to say something else, yet didn’t have the courage. Before Justin could prompt her _– swish –_ Hunter emerged in the middle of the road, out of thin air.

“Hey, man!” he gasped, seeing Justin outside. “Did I miss something?”

“I’m afraid it’s not just dinner that you've missed this time,” Justin quipped. He stepped aside for Hunter to see Callie and was about to introduce them, but something immediately felt off. 

The air around them filled with familiar heaviness; the lamppost light spilled all over the road beneath their feet seemed to sparkle and glisten, suddenly it wasn’t chilly anymore, but warm instead. Justin didn’t feel any involvement, though, so his first thoughts were unsettling, he decided something was wrong.

But then he saw Hunter approach Callie, both of them looking at each other with two identically silly, marveled expressions. And he remembered himself under a similar lamppost three years ago, pleading for Brian to understand him and give him a chance. 

Justin knew for sure what it was. So, he just stepped out of the light, keeping a slight understanding smile on his lips, watching Callie and Hunter slowly studying each other without saying a word.

“Hey,” Hunter finally said, voice trembling. “I’m Hunter.”

“I’m Callie,” was the reply. “So that’s how it feels, then. Nice.”

“Yeah,” Hunter drawled.

Justin couldn’t help a giggle, but managed to hold his hand to his mouth fast enough. Among all the danger that waited for them, this scene was refreshingly heartwarming. Instead of making Justin envious, it made him happy, even if just for a bit. At least the whole soulmate thing was working out right for someone.

“I just saw you teleport, right?” Callie queried hesitantly, stretching her hand out towards Hunter. “Want to get out of here for a while?”

“U-h, that’d be dope, but… it never actually worked,” Hunter explained. “I tried teleporting others before, and I just feel… stuck.”

That was true. Back in the days when they used to train on the abandoned field, they tried the same thing countlessly. Daphne and Justin’s abilities were never offensive, so they watched on the sidelines at Cody and Hunter repeating their attempts to affect each other with their powers again and again. Cody succeeded within several tries; he was always the most confident one, enjoying his strength and not being afraid to use it. Hunter, however, didn’t manage anything at all, and eventually gave up on it. The ability to teleport on its own was exciting enough for him and it didn’t matter if he could pick others up or not.

“Try with me,” Callie insisted, still holding her hand in the air for Hunter to grab. “What if it works this time?” 

Hunter gently wrapped his hand around her wrist, both of them shivering a little at the touch. His eyes darted to Justin that just stood there in the darkness, observing. Justin stayed silent, but spread his arms with a shrug in a _“what do you have to lose”_ type of gesture.

“Okay, in case if it _does_ work,” Hunter finally said. “We’ll be back by midnight. Fine with you?”

“Get the hell out already,” Justin chuckled in response, grateful that Hunter actually considered his opinion for a change. Trying to sound slightly more serious, he repeated: “Back by midnight.” 

Callie looked impatient as Hunter squeezed her wrist tighter, trying to collect himself; concentration clearly visible on his frowning face. He let out a long sigh and for some reason Justin thought that he is afraid of disappointing his newly found soulmate.

“Here goes nothing,” he muttered.

And both of them were immediately gone out of sight, swirls of dust subsiding in the air at the very place they stood seconds ago. Justin didn’t know why, but somehow he expected it to work, much like Callie did, so he wasn’t even surprised. He could only hope that the extended power Hunter just obtained would be usable on other people and not just his soulmate. That could come in handy later. 

Thinking that it’s not going to hurt to eat something after all, Justin headed inside. He was still giggling from time to time on his way to the front door, finally fully distracted from the pending vision.


	9. Who Goes Home?

**District 29, 2270.**

“I think we’re ready,” Chris announced without any kind of greeting as he practically barged into the Mayor’s office. “The extra force has been patrolling Eleventh already, but Chief Horvath said more people will be sent today. My equipment is also ready to be delivered.”

“Since when do you talk to Horvath directly?” Jim Stockwell growled, eyeing Chris sullenly.

“I talk to anyone I want under the Dome,” Chris shrugged in response. “Today we show them what do we think about their little message and flush them back down the hole they crawled out of.”

That wasn’t quite what Chris had in mind, but the Mayor didn’t need to know. They kept this long silence by Chris’s advice, since Stockwell was so scared he couldn’t come up with any plan after he saw the tape. Obviously, he hid it well, but Chris didn’t care, it was clearly visible nonetheless. And it played out in his favor. 

First, they make them confused by ignoring them, wait out until they’re desperate, and then they act. That would most likely lead to a confrontation, and if that happens, Chris would be ready. Then, the only missing piece of this puzzle would be Molly Taylor’s information on Stockwell. Tuesday couldn’t come soon enough.

Chris made sure his best engineers were working on the latest discovery of Molly’s Stub. Ever since he obtained the data, he couldn’t help but research further and put the brightest, most resourceful people he had at the task of figuring out how to produce more of those things and how to perfect the technology.

Today’s morning, he got the news about some fascinating breakthroughs in the project. Some of the workers, snickering between each other, called it a “repdigit remote”, and Chris quite liked that. After all, that was exactly what it was supposed to be. A remote for powers.

Instead of trying to suppress people with abilities, they would control them instead. Just the idea of how much Zion could accomplish if that plan was to become reality excited Chris. Maybe, in future, Hobbs Enterprises would also work on a remote able to both shut down and enhance the powers, if needed.

Some people under the Dome would kill to have a personal assistant with a controllable supernatural ability. And that was exactly Chris’s plan. Stockwell was way too scared to go that far, which sealed his fate. Once Chris becomes the mayor, Zion will inevitably change. 

But for now, he will just announce his new project in development to aggravate the Eleventh and maybe scare them enough to rat Justin Taylor out. Surely, not every single repdigit in there supported him, and even if they did, not everyone was brave enough.

In any event, Chris was about to find out.

**Hope 2193, 2270.**

It was still dark when Justin woke up with a throbbing headache. Holding back a moan of pain so he won’t wake Cody he was sharing the room with, Justin rolled on his side and glanced at the holo-watch on the wall, squinting.

Five in the morning.

Justin breathed heavily, trying to adjust to the pain. Maybe, Deb or Vic could do something about this, but the morning was so early Justin wouldn’t have dared to try and wake them up. So, he had to deal with it on his own. The pain could have been the result of him refusing every single vision he had for the last week. Could have been the stress. Could have been anything, Justin didn’t know. What he did know was the fact that he desperately needed some fresh air and wasn’t going to get any laying in his bed.

He got up, pulled on a pair of jeans and wrapped himself in Vic’s old cardigan (was better than the obnoxiously colorful stuff Daphne got from Deb to sleep in). After briefly making sure that Cody was fast asleep in his bed across the room, Justin was finally ready to leave.

The backyard was full of moist morning fog floating around in predawn twilight. The abandoned neighborhood that used to seem eerie to Justin was now a part of usual surroundings and didn’t cause him to be afraid any longer. He thought he might get used to the absolute silence that was a normal thing around here; nothing but the sounds of wind for miles and miles away.

Justin inhaled deeply; his eyes closed. As soon as the pain eased off, his mind was taken away from him, no tingling or warnings this time.

_Flash. Bazaar. Gray, muddy air, ashes swirling around. Pain, worse than the one he felt just now when he woke up. What is hurting? He isn’t sure, seems like everything in his body does. Voices, calling for him. Footsteps, chasing him. Cannot move, cannot speak. Who is he?_

“Justin!” he heard as soon as he came back from the vision. “Good that you’re here, man, we’ve got to tell you this!”

Blinking in confusion, Justin eventually managed to understand that it was Hunter and Callie standing before him, their hands clasped together. Probably, they were sneaking out to Eleventh to have a date, as they usually did every now and again lately. Both of their faces seemed anxiously worried, so Justin frowned.

“Let’s hear it,” he answered drily.

He didn’t want to think about his vision now. After all, not every vision was a complete truth in case of predictions, the future could still be changed depending on what he’d do.

“The surveillance is back,” Callie’s voice trembled as she spoke. “The police is everywhere, we barely got away.”

“Damned cops cordoned the whole district,” Hunter added in an equally anxious tone. “We asked around and people said it has been that way since yesterday.”

“They… they’re questioning everyone,” Callie stuttered, looking Justin in the eye. “They’re trying to crack people to find out where Hope is, to sell you out. We… we saw your mom.”

Justin tried his best to focus, yet at the mention of his mother it was impossible. After ignoring so many visions and one terrible morning headache he was absolutely unable to stop his mind from slipping away again. _Flash. His mother, thinner than he remembers, her big blue eyes full of worry. Locking the front door before sleep, staring at the window, waiting. Is she waiting for him?_

“How is she?” Justin managed to force the question as his consciousness slowly re-emerged from the vision. “Did you just… meet her?” 

“Was Hunter’s idea,” Callie said proudly in a soft voice and looked at her soulmate.

“Figured first thing they’d do is try to push your mom for information,” Hunter explained. “So, dropped by to check on her. She’s alright, a little scared, but they didn’t do anything. She, um…” he hesitated for a bit, as if trying to find the right words.

“Sends her love,” Callie smiled timidly.

“Yeah, that.”

“Thank you,” Justin replied simply, feeling a wave of pain coming back to his head. “I’ll go wake Cody and Daphne. We have to think of what we do next.”

Justin shivered at the wind and grasped his arms around himself as he turned to hurry back into the building. They couldn’t just stay here and hide, he thought. There were still a lot of people in the Eleventh, at least according to Callie, that supported him and what he stood for. His mother still lived there, and she was in danger because of him. It didn’t matter if they have already questioned her, since they could always pay her another visit. Justin saw Brian talking to her in one of the visions a week ago, but wasn’t scared of it. Somehow, in a strange and twisted way, Justin trusted Brian and was sure he wasn’t going to harm her. 

However, the fact that she was questioned again, and not so long ago, means it wasn’t Brian who had visited this time. And this was different.

“War table in five?” Hunter raised his voice behind Justin back, still standing in the backyard next to Callie.

“Not the time for jokes, Hunter,” Justin narrowed his eyebrows as he slowed down his pace.

“I’m not joking,” Hunter replied a little indignantly.

“Yes,” Justin sighed, standing still. He even allowed himself to smile slightly as he said over his shoulder: “War table in five.”

Justin expected the news to make people worried and was right. Even after a couple of hours, when all of them woke up, washed up, got dressed and discussed the situation, the plan on what to do next was still non-existent. However, no one seemed to be wanting a confrontation, right until the moment Cody turned on the holovision. That was when they found out that not only was the district cordoned, but Chris Hobbs had a special message for them as well.

The news showed Eleventh, but Bazaar was filled with police, some of the officer escorting people around. The whole area was controlled and watched over; right in the middle Justin noticed a huge screen, by the looks of it installed just recently, broadcasting none other than mayor Stockwell.

“I know not all of you support the message,” was the first words they heard when the holovision turned on. “So, this is your chance to do something. I can personally promise you that nothing will happen to you or your family should you come forward and tell the police where Justin Taylor is hiding.” 

“At least he seems genuinely afraid,” Ben shrugged slightly. “But it doesn’t make things better.”

“Worse, if anything,” Vic chimed in. “The more scared he is, the more aggressive he will be towards us.”

Standing in the corner of the living room, his arms crossed on his chest, Justin was listening to the conversation, but preferred not to add anything to it. Cody did the same, leaning against the wall next to Justin, eyes fixated on the screen when the live report from the Eleventh switched to the image of the news studio, and Chris Hobbs’s face appeared.

“As our morning guest in the studio we have Christopher Hobbs,” the blond woman on the screen announced. “CEO of Hobbs Enterprises, to voice his opinion on the possible upcoming riot of the Eleventh district. Good morning, Mr. Hobbs.”

“Morning, Lila,” Hobbs replied with a confident, almost smug smile. “Riot is a very big word. In fact, let me assure you that it’s anything but. As soon as our newest development comes to manufacture, there will be absolutely no reason to ever be afraid or even worried.”

“Please do share, Mr. Hobbs,” the newswoman giggled slightly, seemingly charmed by Hobbs’s self-assurance. “I’m sure people under the Dome could use some consolation right now.”

“In this case, I’m just the man to deliver,” Hobbs promised, leaning towards Lila as if wanting to share a secret with her. “Recently, I brought together some of my best people to work on a single project that will once and for all resolve all the possible problems with any… riots, as you call it.” He looked right at the camera lens and Justin for a second remembered him as a kid, over a decade ago. Always loud, stubborn, falling behind his classmates in studies and bullying Justin any chance he got behind their father’s backs at each gathering they happened to attend together. “See, there is a way to affect the nervous system of someone with… abilities distantly. And that revelation allowed us to come up with one of the most ground-breaking ideas. Which is simply a remote,” Chris leaned back in his chair, waiting for an emotional reaction from Lila, but she didn’t seem to get what he was talking about quite yet. “Imagine just pressing one button, Lila, and shutting down any repdigit’s power in close proximity.”

“Oh,” Lila gasped finally. “That is amazing news, Mr. Hobbs! And when do you think this device is going to be available?” 

“I can’t promise a certain date just yet,” Chris replied vaguely. “But believe me when I say this, the project is under my personal supervision. And I will make sure that the remote is ready as soon as possible.” He sounded confident still, and Justin thought that he isn’t lying. The device will be ready soon. “My father always used to say one thing that eventually became our motto. Smart is the best superpower to have.”

“Smart wouldn’t be about him, would it?” hissed Debbie under her breath. She looked around hesitantly, trying to spot JR, but the girl wasn’t anywhere around, so Deb allowed herself to swear out loud: “The nerve of this motherfucker!”

Justin felt multiple things at once: anger, worry, and an eager desire to do something right this second. Cody beside him seemed to be fuming too. They exchanged glances and in mutual silence decided to just walk out, leaving Daphne, Deb, Vic and Ben along with a few more newcomers on their own with the news reports.

The fog had cleared, but the air outside was still cold. The sun was covered behind the thick heavy clouds, barely visible. Justin saw Callie and Hunter playing with JR in the distance, trying to distract the only child among them from all the panic in the building. Ever since meeting Callie, Hunter realized that his teleporting skills are now available for everyone. All he needed to do was just hold on to a person and concentrate. That was precisely what he was doing with JR, jumping all over the backyard, causing the girl to laugh giddily and ask for more. 

Justin wondered if being accepted by your soulmate triggered some new power to appear within you. After all, there was no studies on anything of that sort. 

“This is fucking bullshit!” Cody roared once they were far enough from the building and from Hunter with the girls. “Talking about us like we’re… animals. Like we’re a problem to be solved. Not regarding our feelings, not ever…”

“Cody,” Justin interjected sternly.

“Don’t fucking ‘Cody’ me!” barked Cody, turning his face to Justin. “You know this is fucked up, Justin!”

“Do you hear me arguing?” Justin kept his voice down, knowing that eventually Cody will too. 

“I don’t see you doing shit about it either!” Cody snapped back and a bunch of broken carrier-robots put next to the fence by Ben the other day scattered around. “We have to go there, Justin. And we have to show them that we’re not just some little nuisance to discuss over their fucking breakfast tea under the Dome. Your mother is still there, Justin, at least for her…” 

“You don’t have to remind me,” Justin cut him in a low, cold voice. His eyes darted away from Cody’s flushed, angry face. “We will go. I just don’t want to kill anyone, that’s it.”

“Would you rather let them kill you, then?” hissed Cody, stepping closer to Justin in an attempt to look directly in his face. He squeezed Justin’s shoulders and finally lowered his voice. “We will go there, try to convince them to leave us alone. But if they overstep the line… would you just stand and watch?”

Justin felt unsure. Obviously, anger wasn’t an unfamiliar emotion to him, and he too could feel aggressive. But something told him that cops patrolling the Eleventh have nothing to do with the Mayor’s decision and don’t deserve to suffer the consequences. However, the government clearly didn’t want to cooperate and Justin couldn’t just sit and hide either. He also couldn’t afford getting captured or killed; or even worse, getting his people captured or killed.

“Fine,” Justin finally sighed. “We’ll have Hunter get us there. Ben has a car, right? He can drive others if they’d want to come.”

“I don’t care if they _want_ to come,” Cody frowned. “When they came here, they took our side. They sure talked the talk, now it’s their time to walk the fucking walk, Justin.”

Justin hated to admit it, but Cody was right, no matter how blunt or aggressive he was or which words did he choose to get his point across. They still had to leave someone behind to defend Hope, however. They still had so many things to think about, too, and so little time. 

“Go get Hunter,” Justin told Cody quietly as he started to walk across the yard and to the building. “Time’s short.”

**District 11, 2270.**

Teleporting felt like one long, breathless blink. Like all the air has suddenly been sucked out of the space around Justin, and Justin himself was pushed off from the edge of the world and right into empty nothingness. At the exact moment Justin usually started to get nervous the world would return at its usual place and it was safe to open his eyes, feeling his feet back on steady ground. 

He still hated teleporting, though. 

He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but when Justin opened his eyes this time, finding himself in one of the narrow alleys behind Bazaar, nothing happened. There were no alarms (probably, they teleported too far or too fast to trigger any), and no people rushed towards him to arrest him. 

If anything, it just looked like the usual Eleventh. The smell of cheap, greasy street food and dusty wind of the Bazaar got Justin a little nostalgic. The sounds seemed different, however, and a few seconds later Justin realized why: the giant billboard freshly installed in the middle of the square, kept looping the same message from Stockwell Justin heard on the news not so long ago, only now it was also joined by additional clips with Hobbs, advertising his newest project. 

Cody was already there waiting when Hunter got Justin to the alley and teleported back to Hope to get Daphne. The more Hunter practiced, the further he could reach, so the whole road from the Eleventh and to their sanctuary could now be overcame in three jumps one way.

“Be right back,” Hunter said and disappeared out of sight. Justin could see he was already pretty tired from getting the two of them here. The fact that Ben had a van to get the rest of the people actually made Justin feel better. They still had to wait for around half an hour for them to arrive.

Deb, Vic, Tracy and some of the newcomers were left at Hope. Some for the sole reason of being useless in a fight, some to protect the place in case if anything goes horribly wrong.

“Can you believe this propaganda shit?” Cody snarled, eyes focused on the billboard that was towering over the entire square, perfectly visible from the distance. “I don’t care if we’re doing it peaceful or not, the fucking screen has to go.”

Justin stayed silent, looking at the buildings behind them, towards the residential area where he and his mom used to live. He couldn’t see the house, but just imagining which way he would go if he could actually go there made him feel a little better. Justin pulled on the hood of a sweatshirt Ben had given him to hide his hair, since it would inevitably drawn attention which he didn’t want right now. He wanted to tell Cody that he doesn’t like the screen either, but heard Hunter and Daphne appearing behind them.

“I hate it,” Daphne shrilled in a high whisper, still trying to be quiet. “It feels like somebody shoved you underground and dragged you all the way through to the opposite side of the world.”

Justin couldn’t have put it better himself. 

“Chill, Daph,” Hunter replied, wheezing from all the teleporting he had to do. “It ain’t that bad. Now, I need a second.” He leaned against the back wall of the shop they were standing behind, trying to catch his breath.

“So, are we just going to… go out there?” Daphne hesitated, taking a few steps towards the square and attempting to glance in between the buildings to get a better look. 

“Go out there and deal with the motherfucking screen,” Cody immediately replied. “For good.”

“I don’t like the screen either,” Hunter voiced Justin’s thoughts. “Can we go now? In case if shit goes south, Ben and the rest will be there to back us up soon.”

“Yeah,” Justin finally spoke. “Let’s go.”

He felt strangely numb, as if he was watching himself from aside, not participating in anything that was about to happen. Passersby didn’t give them much attention even when the four of them exited the alley and went on their way to the middle of Bazaar, stopping right under the billboard.

“The government only wants to protect you,” pre-recorded Jim Stockwell assured from the speakers as people slowly started to give Justin more and more lingered glances, recognizing him. “Imagine the chaos that Justin Taylor and the rest of the kids could evoke upon us if I were to comply with them. All I’m doing is trying to preserve order.” 

“Order _my ass!”_ Cody shouted, trying to get as much attention as he could. “Tell me this crap isn’t getting on anyone’s nerves, I dare you!”

“We’re just here to talk, Cody,” Justin said firmly as he finally pulled off his hood, earning a few gasps nearby.

_“That’s Justin Taylor,”_ someone in the crowd whispered.

_“Is that really him? What is he doing here?”_

Slowly, the square crowd encircled the four of them, hungry for what was to come next. Shopkeepers left their workplaces, passersby stopped on their tracks, Justin could see people standing on their balconies looking down at the Bazaar. The whole district seemed to freeze in the moment, waiting on him to say or do something. 

“We didn’t come here to fight,” Justin began calmly and he didn’t even need to raise his voice much in the silence that settled over the square. “We came to ask Stockwell to reconsider his decision.”

By this time, as Justin has expected, the police patrolling the Bazaar area got interested in whatever was going on in the middle of the square. As the cops were approaching nearer, they understood that the cause of the confusion was the very person they were waiting here to capture, so Justin heard stomping of the heavy boots on the ground and despite trusting Cody fully, his body tensed. 

“That’s Taylor!” one of the officers yelled, pushing through the crowd. “Out of the way! Get them!”

“I don’t think so,” Cody hissed. However, remembering Justin’s earlier pleas, he simply waved his hand in a protective gesture, slightly pushing away the very first cop to get relatively close to them, not quite knocking the man off his feet, but cautioning. He kept his main arm up in the air as a warning, and that was enough for the police to stop moving, realizing the threat. “You will hear what we have to say, and then you will report to your beloved Mayor.”

One of the power-detecting alarms wailed in the distance. The dispatch, only consisting of what looked like not more than five people, halted before Justin and his friends, now standing in the circle formed by the crowd. Justin, however, did not delude himself for one second; he knew that there will inevitably be more police coming. 

“We want to speak to Mayor Stockwell personally,” Justin continued, slowly eying people around him; seeing some sympathetic faces and it cheered him up a little. He focused his look on the police officer that stood slightly ahead. “He will probably see your memories, so here goes: have some balls, Jim, and stop hiding behind the police. Come out here and talk to us.”

“Until then, remove the surveillance and stop questioning people,” Cody added. “They’ve got nothing to do with this. Except they want to be free and treated like equals by all of you Dome motherfuckers.”

“As soon I have a confirmed permission to shoot, I will,” said the officer simply. “You kids had your fun. And after we capture you, there will be real surveillance. With the drones and full cordon and hell knows what. You’ve managed to piss some important people off.”

“Hey, they were just talking!” someone from the crowd yelled. “Everyone is tired of the cops in the district, so maybe they just better off whipping your asses out of here!”

Justin heard some assertive muttering from people encircling them. Officer’s words made him feel like coming here peaceful was a bad idea, since they could do nothing to convince anyone. He didn’t have time to really think it through, but for now the only choice they seemed to have was just taking the district back by force. 

“Maybe we are,” Justin agreed and gave Cody a lingering, meaningful glance. After all, they’ve tried. “What do you say, Cody?” 

Cody smirked at him with a corner of his lips, content with Justin’s decision. Justin just hoped he knew that they still didn’t have to kill anyone. Before anyone could do anything, however, there were more sirens in the distance, but not alarms this time. These were all the cops that had patrolled the Eleventh, now gathering here. Next thing Justin knew the officer that spoke to them earlier had pulled out his gun. Guns these days were small, but pretty deadly. You also didn’t have to aim much and no sound was made. At least that was what Justin thought before he heard this tiny, high, barely audible sound of a bullet sizzling its way through the air to eventually find itself somewhere in Justin’s neck.

_“Fix it fast, Daph!”_ was the last thing he heard before he felt scalding hot blood jolting through his throat and the rest was darkness.

Mere seconds later he was pulled back into reality with no memory of what had happened. He was used to being Daphne’s guinea pig when it came to her powers, so now he had no difficulty understanding that something went wrong, he just had no way of knowing what it was. 

“They are going to shoot Justin, Cody, _do something!”_ Daphne shouted at the top of her lungs. The crowd, robbed of any memory just as much as Justin, didn’t understand what was going on, all they saw was the gun pulled out by one of the officers.

Cody reacted fast enough, gesturing his hand up and towards the cops. His power was well-trained, so it didn’t take a lot of effort for him to jerk several bodies simultaneously in the air, a moment after slamming them back to the ground. Hunter teleported behind the rest of them and managed to pull a gun from under someone’s belt. 

That was the moment when panic began.

The police were now alerted and surrounded the square; deafening sounds of sirens piercing Justin’s ears. Apparently, Justin was just now shot dead, and that didn’t even have time to sink in before some people from the crowd took their side and started fighting the cops too. Some of them didn’t wear their Stubs, either. 

“Stay with me, Justin,” Cody told him as he grabbed his hand and the touch somehow helped Justin’s mind to sober up a little. But not for long.

_Flash. Strong hands around him, pulling him up; warm palms, long fingers. He lowers his head to see blood dripping down on soft, tanned skin; the smell of lead. Is the blood his? At least he won’t die now, will he?_

“Justin, not the time!” Cody yelled at him. “What was it, anyway?”

“I… I don’t know,” Justin shook his head in response and that was true. He didn’t know, he had absolutely no idea and no time to think about it.

Cody led him through the crowd that now went insane to the place where Ben and the others were supposed to arrive at, and they anxiously stood there for what seemed like an eternity, but nobody was coming. Justin kept trying to summon anything useful and it just didn’t work. His body seemed to ache everywhere, although there obviously was no damage from the shot that Daphne saved him from.

Daphne.

“We’ve got to go back,” Justin said, tugging on Cody’s elbow. “We can’t leave Hunter and Daphne behind.”

“Hunter can just jump the fuck out of here, you can’t,” Cody answered, looking intently on the horizon line, his whole body trembling with tension. 

“You know he won’t!” Justin protested as he turned around to pace swiftly towards the crowd. “I’m not leaving until I’m sure they’re safe.”

Cody growled in irritation, but followed Justin nonetheless. The police were now too distracted with ceasing the riot and, with his hood pulled back on, Justin was as safe as one could be in the middle of the fighting crowd. Cody fought through, and Justin noticed he isn’t holding back any longer, smashing bodies of the police officers on the ground like they were puppets. 

Someone managed to turn off (or break, more likely) the huge screen in the middle of the square, so now there were no other sounds except for the alarms, police sirens and fighting, shouting, yelling.

“As soon as the drones arrive it’s game over for those freaks!” Justin heard someone scream. Drones were some rare tech, only used in situations like this, when there was no other choice. Assault drones would surely be game over, Justin thought. A rare power could fight and win against them; most likely they would all just be shot dead from above.

Where were they? Justin looked through and through the unfamiliar faces while Cody did his best to protect them, and finally he noticed a mop of brown curls in the distance. Justin knew better than to scream for Daphne, so he just ran towards her until he could pull on her shoulder.

“Justin!” she whispered, immediately hugging him. Hunter, to Justin’s relief, was right beside her. “Look, I think I can still fix it, let me try, okay?”

She lifted her hand up only for it to be grabbed by Cody and pulled back down.

“No,” Cody said firmly, still holding her wrist. “They wanted it. So, that’s what they get.”

“There’s no point anyway,” Hunter interjected. “I’ll take Justin first, let’s get the fuck out.”

“Take Daph,” Justin made a step backwards from Hunter and towards Cody. Daphne seemed the most scared, and Justin wanted her safe more than he wanted to _be_ safe at the moment. “I’ll stay with Cody and hold on until you’re back.”

“Fine,” Hunter shrugged and tugged on Daphne’s arm. “Daph, come on, dude.”

But she just stood there for a whole half a minute, glaring at Justin. For a moment she seemed like she was about to cry, but smothered her tears quickly and gave Cody a stern, warning look.

“Look after him,” she said.

“I will,” Cody replied simply.

“You will have time to speak like I’m not here later!” Justin finally snapped, stepping away to leave the square. “Now go. When you come back, we’ll be in the same alley we arrived to.”

“Got it,” Hunter nodded, took Daphne by the hand and they both disappeared, causing another set of alarms to go off.

Justin felt relieved as both Daphne and Hunter left the Bazaar. He still didn’t know what happened to Ben and the others, but the fight here was definitely lost. The only thing he could now do was hope that his mother wasn’t somehow mixed up into all of this. 

As they paced through the square, once again protected by Cody, Justin heard it. The drones. They made this steady, low, half-hum half-buzz sound, that was easily recognizable if you have ever once heard it in your life. And it was terrifying.

“Get down!” Justin shouted, ducking his head as he broke into a run.

Cody tried to fight off the drones, but it was useless, since there were so many of them, so far away in the sky. The tech was programmed to attack anyone but the police and used very rarely, so most people at the square didn’t even realize what was happening before they were shot. Justin wasn’t sure if the drones shot bullets or just some kind of a sedative and didn’t want to find out any time soon. So, he kept running.

The air was dusty and it chafed Justin’s throat more and more with every inhale. He could hear Cody panting behind him, the sound of his boots stomping the ground, and that gave him hope that they will manage to cross the square and hide. 

“Where the fuck is Taylor?” he heard someone screaming. “The Mayor wants him.”

“Will he be happy with the body?” the other voice chuckled in response.

“I don’t think he cares,” was the reply.

Mid-way through Justin realized it might not be that easy. The drones were probably confused with so many targets at first, so it took quite a while for the programming to adjust to the situation, but once it did, there was no way to hide for anyone. The bullets were swishing past as Justin kept up his pace, trying not to lose the last strength he had left. 

They reached one of the shops and now were temporarily safe behind it. Justin was sure Cody ran right after him, so he didn’t look back up until the moment he heard a grunt of pain.

“Justin!” Cody called for him and Justin had no other choice but to stop moving. He could get shot again at any moment, as soon as one of the drones would decide to move this way. As Justin turned around to face his friend, Cody grunted once again, louder this time, and sank down against the wall of the shop. Justin’s insides seemed to freeze cold when he saw Cody’s pants, already soaked in blood right around his thigh. Justin thought that Cody was probably waiting for some cover to appear before he could collapse. “Just go, okay?”

“Fuck no,” Justin argued, getting down on his knees next to Cody. “I’ll drag you.”

“Don’t be… stupid,” Cody stuttered. He looked extremely pale and seemed like he was about to doze off. “Just… get the fuck out.”

Justin pressed his palms against Cody’s thigh in an attempt to stop the bleeding. He had to think, and fast.

“Hunter is coming soon, right?” he said, shooting a glance up at Cody. “I’m going to get to the alley and tell him you’re here. I won’t just leave you.”

“Fine,” Cody wheezed, struggling to blink and suddenly let out a soft chuckle. “I guess I won’t go anywhere.”

“You better not,” Justin smiled faintly at him. He had to go, he had to make this plan work.

He inhaled deeply, collecting himself before he rose to his feet and started running away. He forced himself not to look back, and it seemed to work as he rushed to his destination. The fight seemed to be coming to a resolve now, most of the Eleventh denizens lying around unconscious. The drones were making their last stroll around the square when they registered Justin’s movement and failed to identify him as one of the cops.

He anticipated that happening, but kept running anyway. He felt like even if he was going to die right now, there was nothing he could do to stop it. There was no cover, no safety, no one to help him. He was lucky to have most of the cops distracted by dealing with whatever mess the Bazaar was. If that could even be considered luck.

Justin was more or less ready to die at the moment when something heavy and big launched at him from behind, knocking him off his feet in one strike. Both Justin and something – or someone? – fell on the dusty ground, and Justin’s nose was the first thing to suffer the impact. It felt like an explosion right inside his head, hot wave of pain jolting through. Next thing he knew he was choking on blood, still crushed beneath what he decided was someone’s lean, strong body.

“Get the fuck off of me,” Justin hissed as he tried to wiggle away, but his captor clearly had the physical advantage over him.

“Having an afternoon jog, Taylor?” the man above him grunted in his ear, sarcastic even in these circumstances, and everything immediately fell into place for Justin.

He would have recognized this voice a thousand years later, not to mention three. He was still startled when the weight pushing him to the ground lifted, right before his body was swiftly yanked up in one motion, strong hands encircling him tightly, pressing him to Brian’s chest.

“Now, don’t do anything stupid,” Brian whispered warningly in a hoarse voice. “Keep your hood on and move. Drones won’t touch me.”

Justin’s head was still hurting as if fireworks were going off inside it. Just like in the vision he looked down to see Brian’s hands and his own blood dripping on them. Brian didn’t seem to care at the moment, thought. It felt so right, being in his arms, so warm and safe, that Justin forgot why was he even here. Even hiding among dead bodies with blood running out of your nose while the threat of imminent death was hanging above you somehow appeared normal, as long as Justin was next to Brian. 

Justin couldn’t succumb, although his whole being urged him to stay beside his soulmate. It felt like the connection they shared forced them to hold on to each other.

“My friend,” Justin managed to croak, every word hurting his head. “He’s wounded.”

“I can’t give less of a fuck about your friend,” was the reply as they started to move slowly ahead. Justin felt hypnotized each time Brian leaned his head towards his ear and spoke to him, even if his words were nothing but cold. “Just shut up and move.”

Of course, Brian was here to save his own skin, just like Daphne thought. He jumped the drones to protect Justin only to, by doing so, protect himself. Justin felt another wave of pain and anger along with it. He walked some more to lull Brian’s senses, and then attempted to suddenly flee for freedom. 

He realized several things doing so. The first one was: drones were still roaming around and buzzing menacingly at any and all movement in close proximity. The second: Brian was way stronger than he seemed, having a lean build like his; he didn’t even allow Justin to break free of his grip. And finally, the third one: his head still hurt like hell, and sudden maneuvering made him so dizzy he felt he could faint.

“Not so fast, blondie,” Brian sneered as he pulled Justin’s hood back up with his free hand. Justin didn’t even notice it fell off. “Keep that hood up unless you want to get caught.”

Justin was so weakened by his (probably broken) nose that he decided to obey. His body somehow felt exactly right, as if it was made for Brian’s embrace, and Justin couldn’t help but wonder if Brian felt the same. They walked steadily for what it seemed like a few long minutes; Justin didn’t see much since he kept staring at his feet. Massive concrete squares of the Bazaar changed to gravel and changed to the dirty dark ground, and then Justin finally spotted a sleek black car, parked discreetly between a couple of pretty shady shops. The car practically screamed “Brian”, so Justin assumed that was their destination. He thought listlessly if he could make a run for it now, when Brian would be somewhat distracted.

“Don’t even think of it,” Brian cautioned in a low voice. “You won’t have the chance.”

Justin didn’t have time to analyze if that was a soulmate thing or him wanting to get away was just that obvious. Brian tapped two times on his wrist, not even letting go of Justin, and unlocked his car. A moment later Justin was shoved through an opened door and into the backseat. 

The car looked like it smelled nice on the inside, but Justin couldn’t make sure of that since breathing through his nose seemed impossible at the moment. He thought of Daphne and Hunter, his mom, people at Hope.

_He thought of Cody._

Justin wanted to cry, but tears weren’t coming, so he just sat there, his blood dripping on his pants and the floor of the car. There wasn’t anything he could have done, if it wasn’t for Brian, he would have been dead and no help to Cody either way. He tried to console himself with that, repeating the same thought over and over in his head.

Brian got into the car and settled behind the wheel. Justin watched him rub his face with his opened palms tiredly, like he had absolutely no idea as to what the hell has he just done and what to do next. He seemed vulnerable for a second, and Justin was surprised by a sudden urge to run his fingers down Brian’s neck, and maybe stroke the back of his head, comforting him.

Damn that soulmate thing.

“You look like hell,” Brian said when their eyes met in the rearview mirror. “Sorry for that.”

He probably did look like hell, Justin thought. And Brian still looked beautiful; he didn’t age at all during these three years. Justin, however, was still confused, angry and overall devastated by what happened to Cody, so he kept silence.

“You can sulk as much as you want, Taylor, I don’t care,” Brian said, with a clap of his hands opening one of the compartments on the dashboard. He pulled out an object, a second later tossing it towards Justin. As it landed on Justin’s lap, he realized it was something black and very soft… a spare t-shirt. “You better not drip on my seats. Take it.”

“Too late,” Justin mumbled, but pressed the soft material against his nose anyway.

“What?” Brian jerked an eyebrow.

“Too late for not dripping on your seats,” Justin explained. He tried to inhale with his nose, and it still hurt immensely, but for a split of second he could smell the t-shirt through the persistent metallic scent of his own blood. It smelled like Brian, so Justin pressed it harder against his face.

Brian didn’t say anything. Along with activating the dashboard the clap also seemed to have awaken the car's AI, and Justin was startled a little at the sound of a cold, formal voice.

“Welcome back, Lieutenant Kinney,” the AI said. “You have a new passenger. Please, identify them for the future.”

“No need,” Brian answered curtly.

“Very well. Specify your destination.”

Brian leaned back against the driver’s seat, letting out a long sigh. He gave Justin a lingered glance in the rearview mirror, and Justin held it all the way. Justin could feel that Brian was worried and unsure of his own actions, and that was how Justin would probably feel too if he were to kidnap a wanted criminal right under the police’s noses, while being a police lieutenant himself.

“I’ll dri… ah, fuck it,” Brian broke the eye contact as he stuttered, addressing the AI. His next sentence came out way more confident: “Home. We’re going home.”


	10. The More Loving One

**District 29, 2070.**

Molly Taylor knew that the only thing that keeps the Mayor alive was the device he smuggled from hell knows where to implant in his system. She never really cared for this piece of information, since the only visions she ever appreciated were ones about her brother. At least this way she had a chance to get to know him.

Now it suddenly was not just useful, but could affect Zion drastically. 

As she paced across the Veracity hall towards the exit, Molly felt strangely proud of the fact that the fate of this city now depended on her. She hesitated before, since she saw Stockwell a couple of times visiting her father, and he never seemed to have any ill will towards her. But now, everything was different.

Justin nearly got killed. And Molly knew Stockwell was behind it, just like Chris had told her. It was also raining today, just like Chris had told her. So far, Hobbs seemed to keep his word, and if the only chance of saving her brother was to cooperate with Chris, Molly will.

She knew Justin wasn’t dead, she saw him and Brian getting away in one of her visions. It wasn’t the first time she saw Brian, either. Molly knew somehow that the safest place Justin can be right now is beside his soulmate. She didn’t envy Brian, though. He risked everything to save Justin, and now he could potentially lose not only his career, but his life as well.

Molly was probably the only one to know about this, and his secret was safe with her. The only thing that was left to eliminate the danger now was Jim Stockwell.

“Miss Taylor,” she heard not even a minute later after she stood under the overhang, as usual. “Enjoying the weather?” 

Chris was dressed in one of his ridiculously expensive suits, his hair combed, but somewhat messed with by the rain. Molly eyed him apprehensively, she still didn’t trust him and wasn’t sure at all that she was doing the right thing. However, Chris’s words didn’t seem untrue thus far, and she had already made up her mind anyway. 

“Good evening, Chris,” Molly replied, turning her head towards the square to see all the neon colors reflected from the wet surface. “Yes, thank you. It’s nice to meet a man of his word.”

She thought a light joking tone of her words would be obvious to him, but Chris seemed flattered unironically. Molly thought he reminds her somewhat of her father, not able to laugh at himself when there was no harm in it. When she remembered that she didn’t tell her father anything before leaving for the first time since he allowed these walks, Molly felt a little worried.

“I told you I can make a lot happen,” Chris shrugged, hands down his pockets. “I want you to know how sorry I am for what happened to Justin, Molly.”

He didn’t need to know that Justin wasn’t actually missing. Justin was at the safest place possible and that’s where he was better off staying, at least for now. At this point Molly still wasn’t sure if she could fully trust Chris, so she nodded as she kept a sorrowful look on her face.

“I haven't seen anything about him,” Molly lied. “I just hope he's alright.”

“You and me both,” Chris admitted, and no matter how hard she tried to read him she couldn’t claim his tone was insincere. Besides, he seemed to have trusted her and not pry further for what she knew about Justin. “Molly, I…”

“I won’t keep you for long,” Molly interjected as soon as she sensed that he was about to probe her for information. “I am ready to share a thing that might end up being helpful, depends on how you use it. Considering your line of work, should be very easy for you to make use of it, actually.”

Chris’s posture visibly tensed, and Molly knew he was listening to her now, although he preferred to stay silent, probably not to scare her away. She sighed as she darted her unfocused look from one passerby to another.

“Stockwell is very ill,” she began quietly. “The only thing that’s keeping him alive is the device in his body. Something… small, metal. I don’t know exactly what it is, but it’s essential to him. If there is a chance to remove it… he won’t last without it.”

There it went, she said it. Somehow Molly felt relieved now that she didn’t have to doubt herself any longer, it was out there, she had no choice anymore. 

“Have you seen it?” Chris’s voice was harsh because of how impatient he was getting. “Can you describe it better, Molly?” 

She saw it up close only once, in a very brief vision. But she still remembered, somehow visions lingered in her head for a whole while longer than reality. Maybe because they were usually way more entertaining. 

“I came prepared,” Molly smiled at him nervously and offered her wrist, wanting to upload a drawing of the device she made not so long ago on her holo-pad. “I drew it.”

Chris’s fingers wrapped around her arm firmly as he pressed his own wrist to hers, the upload taking a mere second. He opened a panel on his palm, looking at the drawing intently. 

“That will do,” he said, eyes still transfixed on the image. “With all the research that we’ve done on the remotes, the distant shut-down might be entirely possible.”

Oh, right. _The remotes._

“Why did you even come up with something like this, Chris?” Molly narrowed her eyebrows and gave him a confused glare. She was going to help him either way today, but the question was still on her mind. “Don’t you think it’s… cruel?”

“Cruel, Miss Taylor?” She saw Chris smirking at the corner of her eye. “So, killing off half the Eleventh just to prove a point, like our dear Mayor did, wasn’t cruel?”

Molly sighed; she knew she had no counter point to this. If she had to chose between two evils, she’d pick Chris again without a doubt. And so far, he didn’t even seem that evil. He kept his word, he didn’t push her too much, and overall seemed sincere. Even if something in Molly’s gut kept warning her otherwise, she still thought Hobbs wasn’t all that bad. She was helping Justin, wasn’t she? As soon as Stockwell is dead, he can stop hiding. Chris won’t hurt him… or he claimed so.

“It’s about risk reduction,” Chris told her in a softer, calmer voice. “I didn’t know if you were ready to help me or not, Molly. So, I came up with the next best thing, at least to save people from dying by the Mayor’s whim.”

Water drops were pounding on the overhand above them, seemed like this time the rain was way heavier, but Molly didn’t mind. She felt content, standing there, breathing in the fresh, moist air; looking at the shiny Trinity.

“Yes,” Molly answered in a mere whisper. “Yes, you’re right.”

Her eyes trailed a bird flying above and she thought it was very strange. Everybody knew there were no birds under the Dome.

**District 17, 2270.**

Brian couldn’t have risked driving the boy under the Dome, security on the border was way too tight. He drove Taylor to his old place at Seventeenth instead. It was still furnished, but had no holovision or net, and Brian still hasn’t reprogrammed his car so it considered the place “home”, instead of his new loft at Twenty-Ninth. 

They kept silence the whole way, even when they entered the flat and Brian stood there, trying to adjust to seeing Taylor in the familiar surroundings. It seemed surreal, so Brian tried not to give it way too much thought. He cleaned Taylor’s blood off of himself under the tap, threw a first-aid kit at the confused boy and left, activating the security locks. Something kept telling him that Justin won’t try and run for it, at least today, but Brian still made sure the locks were in working order.

Brian would never have admitted it, but what he did was run away. Justin Taylor, even with his whole face covered in blood, was still the man Brian have been thinking about every spare minute lately, and looking at him, knowing he depended on Brian just as much as Brian did on him… it felt wrong. What also felt wrong was the fact that Brian desperately wanted to cross the space between them and _hug_ the boy to maybe comfort him. Brian wasn’t way too into blood-covered twinks, but even considering that, hugging was still something he didn’t view as normal behavior when it came to beautiful men.

Justin was definitely one of those. He also looked at Brian in a strange admiring way sometimes, and that made Brian feel desired like he never was before. And he _was_ desired by many. 

So, he ran. By the time he was finished saving both of their asses it was still early and now he had to go back to the station to deal with whatever mess was going on there along with Michael. Brian preferred to forget about Justin Taylor, the wanted fugitive, being now hidden in his own flat. These thoughts were for later.

“Brian!” he heard as soon as he stepped out of the car, recognizing Michael’s nasal I’m-upset-with-Brian tone unmistakably. He tried his best to brace himself and look nonchalant. “People own phones for a reason! Why haven’t you picked up? And where the hell have you been?”

“Since when were you demoted to a parking lot attendant?” Brian quipped as he locked his car and began striding across the garage; footsteps echoing off of the walls. All that left for Michael was to tag along behind his shoulder. “Stalking much, Mikey?”

“Stalking? I was going to go find you!” Michael exclaimed indignantly as he tried to catch up. “You have no idea, Brian! The Eleventh went insane! Wait, is that…”

Brian jerked at the touch when Michael reached out his hand and gently brushed his fingers against Brian’s neck. Brian still kept walking, until he realized he didn’t hear any footsteps or any noise whatsoever behind him anymore. 

“Is that blood, Brian?” Michael asked quietly, but his voice seemed deafening in the middle of the empty parking lot. Brian turned around to face his friend as Michael held his palm open and ran the DNA scanner over his fingers. “It’s not yours, is it?”

“Michael,” Brian must have skipped a little drop, and had no idea how in the world has it gotten on his neck. He understood that it’s way too late to stop the scan, but wrapped his fingers around Michael’s wrist anyway. “Don’t.”

Michael just stood there, staring at the holo-panel vacantly. It was blinking green, announcing the successful match that was none other than Justin Taylor. Hell knows this wasn’t exactly how Brian had imagined Michael finding out.

“It can’t be,” Michael’s eyes darted from Brian’s face to the panel and back. “What the hell happened, Brian?” 

“I’m alive, that’s what happened,” Brian said with a stern look on his face. “And I’m way too tired to listen to whatever it is you are going to say. We’ll talk about this later.”

For a second Brian thought that Michael was going to start his usual nagging or (a way rarer occurrence) yell at him, but none of that happened. Michael just made a few timid, hesitant steps towards Brian, stood on his tiptoes and tangled his arms around Brian’s neck. He was sobbing softly as he pressed his cheek against Brian’s, clutching him desperately.

“You’re alive,” he whispered in his ear. “Ever since they told me Taylor went missing after the fight, I was so fucking scared, Brian. I have no idea what I’m going to do if I lose you.”

“I’m not dying just yet,” Brian chuckled hoarsely as he pulled Michael closer, encircling his waist. “But you’ll manage.”

“Fuck off,” Michael snorted through his tears and finally stepped away from the embrace, wiping his face with his sleeve hastily. “I’m not going to ask anything now, because all hell went lose at the station and we really need to go. But you _will_ tell me later. Right?”

Brian stretched out his hand to cup Michael’s cheek and caught a few tears with his thumb gently as he nodded at his friend. They stood for a few seconds more, just looking at each other, until the AI reminded of itself by asking if they need any of their cars ready. Only then did they finally walk out of the garage.

All hell definitely did go lose; Brian realized that as soon as they exited the elevator. He also realized that the fight was apparently not over, even though at the time he took Justin away it seemed like it was. He and Michael needed to be filled in immediately, so Brian was actually relieved, all the while somewhat anxious as he saw Kip Thomas, Chief’s secretary, shifting his weight from one leg to another nervously in front of their office’s door. 

“Let’s hear it,” Brian drawled grimly instead of a greeting as he pushed the door open. 

“I sense deep shit trouble,” Michael mumbled before the three of them proceeded into the office, finally safe from the corridor noise and people swarming around. “Hi, Kip.”

Brian leaned on the edge of his desk; arms crossed on his chest. He knew Kip didn’t like him that much, so whatever it was that Thomas came here to say was so important that he couldn’t avoid the visit. Brian knew it was a bad idea to ever fuck someone who you’re risking to see at work, but it was too late to regret it anyway. 

“Morning, guys,” Kip answered as he gave them both a brief ingenuine smile. “Long story short, it’s a disaster. Judging by the recent reports, Taylor went missing and hasn’t been found yet. As soon as the drones dealt with the riot, another group of repdigits came out of nowhere, they had…”

“Wait, what?” Michael interjected in a tone of disbelief. “Are you saying they kept at it?”

“They sure did,” Kip confirmed, scrolling through his holo-pad. “The reports are coming in right now and let me tell you they are not promising, to say the least. Apparently, somebody in the group could sort of… shield the others. And another burned the drones to a crisp.”

“How many casualties?” Michael asked and Brian was already aware of the answer. He saw it himself, after all. 

“Unknown amount of repdigits,” Kip sighed, eyes focused on the pad. “They will count later, but probably over a dozen or more. And five… six officers.”

This was serious. If Justin was to walk out of Brian’s apartment now, he would probably get captured and tossed in jail right after, if not killed. Brian rubbed his forehead tiredly, still not saying a word.

“Let me guess,” he finally spoke. “They want the Mayor.”

“Pretty much,” Kip shrugged, not even looking at Brian. “Oh, and… before their reinforcements came, one of them was captured. One of the kids from the tape, Cody Bell? He lost a lot of blood though, still in the hospital.”

_My friend is wounded_ said Justin from the recent memories in Brian’s head. So, they didn’t just have anyone, they had Taylor’s tame hound. Somehow Brian knew that Bell is not going to share a damned thing with them, he also was extremely dangerous to leave without supervision. 

“We’ll need to question him, then,” Michael chimed in, standing up from his chair. “We might even find their base through him…”

“He’s still out of it,” Kip finally tucked the pad under his arm. “There is no point seeing him now, the doctors aren’t even sure he’s going to make it.”

“In case he does, make sure he’s watched,” Brian advised with a slight I-know-something-you-don’t chuckle. Before he could add anything else, the door to their office swung open, letting Chief Horvath himself stride in.

Brian didn’t know him too well, yet somehow this gray-haired man in a khaki overcoat still looked trustworthy. Maybe because Horvath preferred observation over talk and that was exactly the way Brian chose in his work, too.

“Gentlemen,” he greeted them, a frown spread across his forehead. “A report just came in that the Eleventh is in a dire state. I’ll be heading there myself right now, I’d prefer you come with me and I’ll explain more on the way.”

Without any further words, the three of them left Kip Thomas alone in the office and headed to an elevator. Brian understood just how serious the whole thing was once they reached the garage. In the morning, the only squads dispatching to Eleventh were from Seventeenth, but now it seemed like the whole Dome station was leaving, armed and ready. 

Brian suggested to drive and eventually him, Horvath and Michael on the backseat arrived at the Eleventh’s border among at least five more police cars. The Eleventh was guarded by the police for the last several days, so the boarder was closed and only had a few entrances. Brian realized that this detail had actually played right into short-dozen’s hands, since they simply took over the control posts, replacing police officers with their own people. 

“What’s the holdup?” Michael asked impatiently, sitting up on the backseat to try and look ahead through the windshield. “It’s been a minute since we stopped.”

They were right near the border, yet the traffic froze completely and there was no way of knowing what was going on with the cars ahead of them. Brian was never well-known for his patience, so he unlocked the car and was the first one to step outside.

“Let’s find out,” he said, tucking his gun in the holder on his belt. 

Both Michael and the Chief eventually followed him. The evening was closing in, brooding darkness in the air; and it was getting uncomfortably chilly. Brian walked ahead confidently until the moment he reached a group of people that seemed to be the cause of their halt. 

“It just… doesn’t move no matter how hard I try,” said one of the officers that a second ago was behind the wheel of the very first police car to arrive. “I tried driving it manually, doesn’t budge either.”

“Neither is mine,” shrugged the other.

The gate was just before them, yet something seemed to have stopped these cars. Chief Horvath happened to think the same thing as Brian, since he got around a bunch of confused officers, walked several steps towards the gate and reached out his hand.

“Appears to be some kind of shield,” the Chief voiced Brian’s thoughts. “Thomas mentioned something like that.”

“That’s close enough!” a sharp, young female voice declared from somewhere above them. “Stay where you are!”

“The Eleventh is now cop-free, so I wouldn’t try my luck if I were you,” another voice added, seeming familiar to Brian.

Brian strode towards Horvath to get a better look at just what was going on. On top of the fence was the observation point, and right there stood several kids Brian had never seen before. He tapped his temple slightly and ordered the cybernetic eye to zoom in, only then discerning a familiar sight of Daphne Chanders among the crowd. She didn’t seem to notice him just yet.

“Evening, young lady,” Horvath yelled through the shield. “I’d like to negotiate. Though, I have to admit, it’s not very comfortable to have to scream doing so. Can we at least stay under the gate?”

It was quiet for a while. Brian looked intently into the empty space before him and finally noticed the shield: it was now glistening in neon lights, making the air buzz ever so slightly. Brian eyed the observation point above the gate again, trying to figure out which one of the kids was holding it; not long after he noticed a thin, pale brunette girl with her arm outstretched. Concentrated, she appeared to be looking somewhere past all of them. On her neck Brian saw a fresh bandage, just like the one Justin had when they first met.

“Fine, but no funny business!” Brian recognized James Montgomery immediately. “Can you make it a little smaller, Tracy?” 

The girl simply nodded in compliance and a moment later Brian saw the glistening, see-through barrier moving ahead to give them more space. He threw a quick glance over his shoulder to see the officers ready for a fight, covering both him and Horvath. Michael stood a little aside, looking worried. 

As they walked closer, Brian had to switch to his normal vision, finally able to get a good look at everyone standing above. Before he could do that, however, his eyes met Daphne’s and that distracted him. The girl’s face was swollen with tears, hair tangled, she looked exhausted. And then, she glanced at Brian.

After what seemed like an eternity-long, lingering, intent gaze, she finally _smiled._

It didn’t take a genius to understand that Taylor must have shared their connection with his best friend and seeing Brian now confirmed for Daphne that Justin was alive somewhere. It left a question of what was going to happen if Chanders were to tell that for everyone to hear right now, although Brian was sure she wasn’t going to endanger Justin by doing so.

“The Mayor is too much of a coward to show himself?” the same yelling girl asked, stepping ahead of Daphne. He hair was short and dark, she had a determined, fearless look on her face. “It’s okay, you’ll do for now, Chief.”

“May I know your name, young lady?” Horvath finally stopped right below the gate and Brian did so, too. “Since you are the one leading the negotiation.”

“Name’s Callie,” the girl answered, staring down at them. “And there is no negotiating happening. We have your troops, a lot of them, behind the fence at the Eleventh. We release them, you give us Justin and Cody. End of the bargain.”

“Sure would have if we knew where Taylor is,” Brian shrugged, appearing as nonchalant as ever. “You realize the drones you burned today weren’t the last ones Hobbs has in store?” 

“Take your threats and shove them,” James spat out immediately. “If you don’t know where Justin is, what is stopping us from finishing off every single one of the uniformed motherfuckers right now?” 

“Ah, must have slipped my mind,” Brian drawled sarcastically, earning a slightly disapproving look from the Chief. In a way sterner, serious tone, Brian explained: “We do have Bell. So, your call.”

“There is no need for the aggression,” Horvath spoke. “We simply came to know exactly what caused… well, all this.”

“If you have seen the message, Chief, you already know what we want,” Daphne suddenly said, her voice soft and calm in comparison to her friends; desperate undertones audible. “I know Cody must’ve been hurt and you can’t release him just yet. You will, however, if you care for the lives of the officers behind this fence.”

She turned on her heels and ran out of sight, seemingly crying again. 

“You will also get the Mayor right fucking here!” Callie screamed, pointing below the gate. “We’re done talking.”

“If you think we won’t kill them, think again,” James added lastly. “We’re done here, Trace.”

And, before Brian or Chief Horvath could say anything else, the barrier started to enclose on them. With the Eleventh completely taken over, it was wiser for them not to fight, so they just turned around and walked back on the neon drenched road to get to their cars. The sky above them, overtaken by the thick gloomy darkness, promised a rain any time soon. Perhaps, he behaved a little out of line just now, Brian thought, taken over by his irritation and confusion. He had no idea how was he supposed to make this whole investigation work and stay alive at the same time (which basically meant protecting Justin). He also didn’t know what to do once he’s back at the station. And definitely didn’t even imagine what to do when he’s back at the old flat with Taylor. 

What he did know for sure was that he didn’t want to die. He also needed another shot of Drop _soon._

**District 17, 2270.**

Justin’s mind was blank. It felt like at least an eternity had passed since the moment Brian shoved him through the door and into the dark apartment, tossed a first-aid kit at him and left without as much as a single word. 

The place felt deserted, even though Justin knew for a fact that Brian left it completely only a week or so ago. The holovision set was gone and there were no devices around for Justin to check if the net connection was present at all, so he just walked around mindlessly, waiting for Brian.

He dealt with his nose first, though. The first-aid kit Brian gave him was one of the fancy ones, probably one of those the officers had with them on duty; it had pretty much everything Justin needed to tend to his nose that ended up being just damaged and thankfully not completely broken. Justin kept an elastic bandage that immediately took a shape of any damaged body part for exactly two hours before removing it and finding his nose in perfect condition.

It felt nice to breathe again. And to have no bruises at that. For some reason – and he hated to admit it – Justin was worried if Brian were to return and see him before he healed. Which would inevitably happen if Brian didn’t want to starve him, since the place had nothing consumable in it but tap water.

The windows had black rolling shades on them and Justin only dared to roll them up once it became completely dark. Outside it seemed like your regular, nice and neat area of the Seventeenth, closer to the Dome than to Eleventh and therefore more developed. People were hurrying home from work under the rain and drizzle; mist flowing in the evening air. Justin thought about Cody yet again, felt a strong pinch of sudden heartache and retreated on the dark blue suede sofa that took up the most of the living room.

He rested his head against the back of the sofa, closed his eyes and hoped for the best. Concentrating usually helped when Justin was in a good mood and didn’t long for Brian that much (if he did, he just risked summoning a yet another vision of Brian), but today he decided to try anyway. He _needed_ to know what happened. With a deep inhale he delved into his own mind, chasing the memories of the fight at the Eleventh in an attempt to see something, anything.

_Flash. Complete, pitch-black darkness. His limbs are heavy and numb; each breath he takes is echoing with a sharp pain in his chest. Who is he? He can’t open his eyes, although he wants to. Why?_

“Taylor,” Brian stated in a low, quiet voice. Justin swallowed hard, trying to adjust to his surroundings after the vision. “You feel better?”

Brian probably saw him during his vision and that was usually not a common sight, at least according to Daphne. The older he got, the less noticeable the process was to others, but today he was just way too stressed out to control it.

“A little,” Justin breathed out hoarsely, looking at the man towering above him and blurted: “You came.”

“I didn’t bring you here to starve you,” Brian explained and only then Justin saw him holding a box of something under his arm. “Stir-fry?”

He jerked an eyebrow at Justin, tilting his head inquiringly and kept waiting for an answer. Justin thought he was clearly clowning, but after a second of complete silence snorted in disbelief.

“You kidnapped me from my district,” Justin raised his voice as he got up on his feet. He was way shorter than Brian, so it didn’t work to intimidate the older man, but helped with confidence nonetheless. “You forced me to leave my best friend to die. You locked me here.” He threw his hands up in despair, all the while feeling the anger coming. “And now you are asking me if I want stir-fry?” 

Brian rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue into his cheek, mocking some deep thinking, before he simply said: “Precisely.”

Justin got so riled up he seriously considered rejecting food altogether, but hunger inevitably won over his pride as he stood in the middle of the room, watching Brian tossing his rain-drenched leather jacket aside and retreating behind the kitchen counter.

“Do I even have a choice?” Justin asked rhetorically.

“There’s always a choice, Taylor. In your case, it’s stir-fry or nothing,” was the immediate reply, accompanied by the sound of clattering. Justin frowned in confusion, noticing a couple of fancy glassy beer bottles. Usually something like that was only sold under the Dome. Brian stopped whatever he was doing and sighed as their eyes met. “Look, I’ve had a rough day at work, I’m tired and not in the mood to babysit. So, either we have a civilized quiet dinner now or I leave and come back tomorrow to force-feed you some of that futuristic liquid shit so you won’t fucking starve.” He stared at Justin expectantly, adding: “See, it’s your choice once again.”

“Fine,” Justin agreed grimly. He walked up to the counter and settled cautiously on one of the bar stools. For a second he got completely distracted with Brian, that was now dressed only in one of his soft black cotton t-shirts and simple dark-blue jeans. His biceps tensed a little as he twisted the beer bottle cap open, not paying Justin any attention. 

And then he pushed the bottle across the counter to bump softly into Justin’s resting hands. Justin got startled and returned to reality immediately, an instant wave of guilt washing over his whole body. Cody might have been dead, and here was Justin, having a beer and watching Brian put a dissolvable plastic box of stir-fry in front of them. 

That felt… strange and surreal, to say the least.

“Do you know anything about Cod-“

“Your friend might live,” they said in unison, and Justin couldn’t help but think that it was probably yet another one of the soulmate connection perks that they had no idea about. Brian added: “They don’t know.”

So that was what Justin’s last vision was about. In it, Cody seemed conscious because Justin _felt_ his body and _wanted_ to open his eyes. That still left the question of what was the police going to do with him, but compared to Cody being dead the situation was still better. Justin heaved a relieved sigh and suddenly felt thirsty, so he took a large gulp from the offered beer bottle.

“Thank you for telling me,” he met Brian’s gaze on purpose, to make sure his soulmate knew that he means it, that he’s grateful. The aftertaste of beer felt nicely bitter; Justin held the bottle up to see the holographic logo on it. “This is way better stuff than what you got wasted on back when you first moved here.”

Brian’s brows furrowed in confusion as he watched Justin smiling slightly, lost in a memory of one of his visions. Visions were always easier to remember than reality, so he cherished a few of his favorite ones with Brian in them; Justin used to see them a lot back before they met. Including the one in which young Brian got promoted, finally got his own place and invited a bunch of friends to celebrate. 

“Right, the superpower,” Brian drawled as he lifted himself onto a stool and began eating. “So, what else was it that you _saw,_ Taylor?”

Justin watched his soulmate for a good half a minute before answering. It was strange, but in Brian’s presence he felt calm and protected. The swarm of heavy thoughts torturing him all day seemed to have finally left his head and overall, he felt like just a regular person having a takeout dinner with the man he liked. That definitely wasn’t something common for him, so Justin decided to ease a little, allowing the slightly playful mood to take over for now.

“You got so drunk you tried to fuck your best friend Michael,” Justin mumbled through the hot stir-fry in his mouth, uncaring about the manners. “He didn’t let you, though.”

“Even I barely remember that,” Brian chuckled, but got defensive pretty fast: “Don’t tell me you’ve never fucked the tame hound of yours.”

Justin gasped to tell Brian off, frowning indignantly, but in a moment realized that reading his soulmate was actually easier that it seemed a first. Brian’s words weren’t a statement against something he didn’t want to believe in, they were a question an answer to which he was afraid to hear; understanding that made Justin feel… _content,_ even if the whole thing was just subconscious for Brian.

“He’s not my hound, he’s my best friend. One of them, anyway,” Justin’s face softened. “And no, I’ve never slept with him. I have never actually… well, that doesn’t matter.”

Justin squirmed uncomfortably on his stool, catching a glint of something unseen before in Brian’s eyes. As much as his soulmate excelled at seeming nonchalant and uncaring most of the time, at this moment Justin was sure that Brian _did_ long for him. For _him_ , and not all the blond guys he fucked instead. 

“He would have let you,” Justin said, attempting to get the conversation back on track. “Michael, I mean. If you were sober.”

“I know,” Brian stated simply with a slight shrug and had another sip of beer.

Justin watched his Adam’s apple move as Brian swallowed, and for a second imagined himself in Michael’s shoes. Something was telling him that he’d still surrender to Brian unconditionally, no matter drunk or sober.

They finished their dinner in silence and just sat there looking at each other, unmoving, for at least a minute. Their light giggly mood seemed to have evaporated, and now they didn’t know what to talk about anymore. Brian was the first one to snap out of whatever this strange slumber was and walk back to the sofa where he had tossed his jacket earlier. 

“Next time I’ll bring you a holo-pad or something,” he said quietly, slipping his arms into the leather sleeves.

“Brian,” Justin called before Brian had the chance to walk out and immediately realized it was the first time he had actually addressed Brian by his name. Strangely, it felt unusual. Brian appeared to be experiencing something of the same nature, since he stopped dead on his tracks to look at Justin over his shoulder. “Stay?”

At the thought of being left alone for the night in this empty apartment Justin felt horrified. He had no means to distract himself, and he probably won’t be able to fall asleep until the early morning, considering all the thoughts haunting him when Brian wasn’t here. So, he didn’t care if he seemed needy to Brian; truth told, he _was_ needy either way. 

“It’s not like I’m asking you to tuck me into bed and kiss me goodnight,” Justin explained. Shielding himself behind the almost sarcastic tone, he though he probably wouldn’t mind being kissed goodnight by Brian. “Just… stay here. I can sleep on the sofa.”

Brian turned away from him and lingered in the doorway for a moment before finally stepping back inside. Justin eyed his every move intently while Brian slowly slid out of his jacket again and this time left it on the hanger.

“Just for tonight,” he said, not even looking at Justin as he passed him on the way to the bedroom.

“Just for tonight,” Justin echoed after him.


	11. Let Me Count The Ways

**District 11, 2270.**

“I know it sucks, Daph,” Hunter said quietly, hovering in the doorway. “But… we have people that depend on us.”

 _People that depend on us._ Such choice of words was so unusual for Hunter that Daphne let out a bitter chuckle; lately he had been spending all of his free time with Callie and the both of them practically took over the lead of the whole resistance, now when Justin was gone along with Cody and Daphne was left alone to grief.

She didn’t mind being left alone. She was so lost it was barely possible to understand what was it that people were expecting of her. If it would have only been Cody to go missing, Justin would have been here to be strong for her. If it would have only been Justin to go missing, Cody would have been here to awaken the angry kind of strength in her to keep going. But with both of them gone, Daphne didn’t know what to do.

The only thought that kept her sane was that they were still alive, but she couldn’t even share it with anyone. At some point she knew she would have to, but for now they had too much on their plate as it was. The only reason their whole plan went to hell was the policemen that stalled Ben and his car, thinking it was suspicious that he had so many people heading into the cordoned area. By the time Ben realized they were not letting them go without a fight it was too late.

Daphne tried not to blame him, although that proved to be extremely difficult. She grew so protective of Justin over the years that anyone who harmed him, even indirectly, risked to become her enemy. 

After all, they did manage to overtake the district, even if that wasn’t their initial purpose. At the last moment Tracy decided to finally take out her Stub and go with Ben and the rest to help. Her power actually ended up saving a lot of lives; a giant shield protected people from the drones all the while Callie just burned the tech with no second guesses. As soon as the cops were defeated, they got some volunteers to take over the watch posts and now the Eleventh was wholly an outlaw territory with its own leaders, which now appeared to be Hunter and Callie. People did know that Justin started the whole thing though. 

They will find them, both Justin and Cody. They will _have to_ do it before it’s too late.

The only person Daphne thought capable of protecting Justin was Brian. But would he really risk that much to save Justin? On the other hand, not saving Justin would be even more of a risk for him. If Brian truly knew where Justin was at the moment, Daphne couldn’t have endangered them both by saying anything at all.

“It sucks,” she repeated in a tired whisper as she rubbed her face. “Don’t you think _it sucks_ more for them?”

“Daph,” Hunter sighed. “You really have to gather your shit together, dude. Soon.”

He was still standing in the doorway of the checkpoint they were now in, one of the sliding doors held still by his body while the other constantly moving, pushed playfully by his opened palm. The sound and the movement altogether started to make Daphne annoyed. She didn’t have any sleep last night, watching over the district, and now was forced to rest by Tracy and Callie. They were probably too scared to have a quarrel or argue with her, so they sent Hunter to check how she was doing. Since Justin and Cody were gone, Daphne noticed that people started to avoid her because of how moody she was.

“Remember,” she began, staring vacantly at the can of cold coffee in front of her. “You wanted to take Justin away first. And he told you to grab me.”

“Jeesh,” this time Hunter heaved a heavier sigh, finally leaving the doorway to sit next to Daphne, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “Would you stop with this? Yeah, he asked me to take you because he cares for you and wanted you safe. And I know he is alive, okay? I just feel it.” He pulled Daphne’s listless body closer in an attempt to cheer her up.

“He is,” she confirmed without Hunter realizing she actually knows that for sure. “And we will find him.”

“As soon as we’re done figuring out how to run the district,” Hunter gave her a slight, hesitant smile. “Come on, Daph. Wherever they both are, they need you strong.”

“Yeah,” she exhaled raggedly, feeling a brief surge of energy to do something, _anything._ “We have to check who is next to volunteer the checkpoints tonight. We can’t leave them empty, whatever the cost. And, we also have to see how the cops are doing, and…”

“Slow down,” Hunter chuckled. “Callie is watching the cops. As for checkpoints, people have kind of came up with a sort of… schedule. It’s taken care of, more or less.”

Truth told, Daphne had no idea what to do if the whole hostage exchange plan were to fail. She thought that maybe Callie would have been able to kill them, but what would people think of her then? Of all of them. 

“Hey,” Tracy stepped in through the doors, looking way better rested than she was yesterday, after they saw the Chief. “There is some lady that wants to see you guys. Claims to be…”

“Mrs. Taylor!” Hunter exclaimed at the blond woman that stood timidly behind Tracy’s shoulder. “Come in!”

He jumped to his feet, seemingly happy at the sight of Justin’s mother. Daphne felt way less enthusiastic; seeing Mrs. Taylor reminded her of the times she had spent with Justin, of the times when Justin was here with her; that woman’s presence made the fact of Justin’s disappearance way more real, almost painfully so. Not to mention they had to explain the whole thing to Jennifer now, they at least owe her that. 

“Okay, I’ll just leave you to it,” Tracy mumbled shily before she exited the checkpoint.

“Kids,” Jennifer, however, didn’t seem to be angry at them one bit. She hugged Hunter tightly, and he (lacking motherly attention his whole life) gladly returned the hug. “I was so worried. At least you are fine, that’s a relief.”

“Hello, Mrs. Taylor,” Daphne greeted quietly, not sure if she wanted to get up and hug the woman. “Would you like some coffee?”

Jennifer released Hunter and took a step back from him, eyes Darting from him to Daphne and back.

“You grew up so much since the last time I saw you. Or maybe it just seems so,” she shrugged as she followed Hunter and nodded gratefully at him for offering her a chair. “Thank you, Daphne, but I’m good.”

“Hasn’t been that long since you saw me,” Hunter giggled. “How have you been?” He asked her with genuine interest, all three of them avoiding the subject of Justin.

Jennifer’s eyes went watery as she glared at the floor intently with no answer. She only looked back up after Daphne reached to cover the woman's slightly trembling hands with her own.

“I know it’s hard, Mrs. Taylor,” Daphne whispered. “Trust me, I know.”

Hunter just sat there, letting Daphne be strong for someone that needed it. She was grateful that he kept silence while she got up and finally hugged Justin’s mother, both women finding consolation in each other’s arms.

“I came to offer any help you need,” Jennifer sobbed while Daphne held her. “Any help to find him…”

“We will,” Daphne pulled away from their embrace, looking straight into Mrs. Taylor’s eyes. “We will find him, Jennifer, I promise you.”

 **District 17, 2270.**

“Come on, Bri,” Gary Saperstein whined. “I thought we had a deal.”

“Don’t fucking call me that,” Brian winced in disgust as he stood from his chair, about to leave Gary’s office. “We did. Before you fucked me over.”

“I didn’t fuck you over! _God, Brian!”_ Saperstein shouted, jumping at his feet to follow. “Don’t you think I know better than to fuck a Dome cop over?” He hissed in a mere whisper, afraid to be heard by anyone outside of the room. “I told you, with all that fuss down at the Eleventh, my black-market contact got lost and…”

“I don’t care, Sap,” Brian interrupted dismissively, without even looking at him. “I came here for my supply and you don’t have it. It’s not like I’m going to run and report you,” he shrugged. “Just, next time you end up on cop’s radar don’t fucking cry for me to protect you.”

Gary Saperstein liked to think of himself as a businessman, but in reality, he just owned a shady nightclub on the boarder of the Seventeenth, so close to the Eleventh he might as well be called a repdigit himself. Most likely he wasn’t even lying about his club being affected by the resistance, but Brian didn’t care. He took Gary under his own protection back when he needed Drop the most, and ever since then Sap was a steady and silent supply of Brian’s shots in exchange for Brian coming to help each time Seventeenth district cops were interested in checking the establishment. Until tonight, the deal worked out so well that Brian didn’t even think about finding any other source of Drop just in case.

“Yeah, right,” Sap drawled venomously. “What if I report _you_ instead, huh? A police officer from under the Dome, buying shady drugs, you know…”

“Be my guest. You know I’ll end you,” Brian let out a hearty laugh, genuinely amused by the threat. For a second, he contemplated if he should intimidate him more, but decided against it. Gary was way too small of a fish. “You better deal with it soon. Later, Sap.”

Brian finally stepped out of the small, stuffy office and ran down the stairs. The club was closed since it was way too early for visitors, so Brian strode across the empty dancefloor to the front entrance, not caring about fighting off unwanted attention. As much as he loved tricking, this place was way below his standard. It felt nice outside; Brian inhaled some fresh air contently and fished an electronic cigarette out of his jean’s pocket. 

After a three or so drags he realized that he was now completely out of Drop and still had Taylor in his apartment. The morning shot was going to last him for at least a couple more hours, but what to do next, Brian had no idea. He wasn’t going to visit Taylor today, that’s for sure; he will just stay at his new place and see how will he endure the evening. 

“Are you coming, Brian?” he heard Michael call and sighed in irritation. He was anticipating his friend eventually leaving the car and coming to look for him, but not so soon. “I don’t like this place.”

“Me neither,” Brian replied simply as he shoved the cigarette back into the pocket and looked at Michael, deciding if he should tell him. “Seems I’m out of shots.”

“That sly prick fucked you over?” Michael exclaimed, for a second seeming like he wants to barge back into the club and have a talk with Sap himself. After a brief outburst he was back with one of his I-told-you-so expressions. “This was never going to end up nicely, Brian. You knew that. What are you going to do?”

“Not a clue,” Brian answered and he was completely honest. However, discussing the whole thing was not what he planned. “It’s not _all_ that bad. It’s Friday, Mikey.”

“And what would that mean?” Michael asked in confusion, heading back to the car ahead of Brian.

“That would mean I don’t have to pretend like I’m looking for Taylor for at least two more days,” Brian shrugged, following him. “Also, would mean a night out. You coming?” 

They did talk about Taylor, just as Brian had promised. Michael showed no interest in meeting the kid and actually seemed a little relieved about the fact that Brian now had him locked. The only problem was that none of them knew what to do with the boy next and what was coming if the Chief or anyone else were to find out.

“Have you ever thought… I mean,” Michael hesitated for a moment and Brian decided he was being shy. As soon as he understood that, he realized what was it that his friend wanted to ask. “They say it’s like, insane, being with your soulmate, and you get this whole new experience and…”

“Cut it, Michael,” Brian unlocked the car so they both could get inside and away from the piercing wind. “I don’t do soulmates.”

“But it’s only natural for you to want each other,” Michael sank into the passenger seat and squirmed to get comfortable. “You’re out of Drop. Besides, from what I gather you find him hot. Well, he _is_ hot.”

“He is,” Brian admitted reluctantly. “What of it?”

Brian sensed a strange nudging in his chest when Michael emphasized that he too found Justin attractive. It was never a common occurrence for Brian to feel jealous or possessive about someone, he considered these feelings a weakness and people who had them just plane stupid. The Drop must have worn off already, he decided as he pushed his elbow into the back of Michael’s seat and turned his upper body away from the wheel so that he could drive backwards and out of the parking lot.

“Since you’re attracted to him, why not just… go for it?” Michael suggested, staring at Brian expectantly.

“If he weren’t my _soulmate,”_ Brian cringed at the word as he nearly spat it out. “I would already have fucked him. Happy?” 

“So why is him being your _soulmate_ stopping you then?” Michael clearly had fun poking at Brian while they crossed the long and shiny highway on their way to the Dome. “I get it that it’s dangerous and all, but I doubt he’ll sacrifice himself just to kill you. You have nothing to fear from him.”

“You’re probably right,” Brian confirmed, since he didn’t ever feel like Taylor was a threat either. However, Michael was getting way too nosy and Brian was getting way too irritated. “But it’s still none of your business.”

“I’m just trying to talk like this whole thing is… normal,” Michael sighed, suddenly sounding serious. Brian understood immediately what he meant and that made him soften a little. He remained silent, though, so Michael added in a lighter tone: “I also know you’re going out tonight to fuck someone else just _not to fuck_ Taylor. Am I making sense?”

“No,” Brian lied with a lopsided grin. “And we’re not even high yet.”

 **District 29, 2270.**

After dropping their police belts and badges at home, changing clothes and about an hour of driving, they finally were in one of the fanciest and shiniest gay clubs under the Dome. Brian have been here before; people in these kinds of places usually pretended like they didn’t recognize one another, even if they did. So, if there was a slight chance anyone had seen Brian somewhere behind Horvat’s shoulder while the Chief was giving an interview to the news, they would still pretend like they didn’t know him, which was completely fine with Brian.

With Eleventh being in a state that it was, security was tighter even under the Dome. There were way more street patrols than usual, and everyone going in and out of the club was checked thoroughly. For some reason the security reminded Brian about Cody Bell; were they watching over him that intently? The kid was still in a coma, supported only by the hospital tech, so they haven’t talked to him yet. Brian wasn’t afraid of _him,_ but of him realizing where Justin was. After all, Brian didn’t know exactly how many people knew about their connection.

He made a mental note to ask Taylor about it next time he brings groceries. 

Brian stood still, keeping a slightly predatory expression on his face as he studied the crowd. He hated to admit it, but he was searching for a very specific look, as usual these days. He was hunting short blond boys in hopes that they would get his mind off of Taylor. Today however, with the Drop losing its effect every passing second, Brian felt strange. At this point he was still sure he wasn’t going to visit Justin, since the boy was well supplied with food for the evening, but the longing became stronger. Almost as if Brian physically _needed_ to be around Justin as soon as possible.

With Michael nowhere in sight (probably doing a little cruising of his own, since there had to be some days when he wasn’t waiting on Brian), Brian moved through the crowd of bodies towards the near spitting image of Justin Taylor dancing alone. Perfect. He will just fuck this guy like there was no tomorrow and that would do until Sap is ready to get more Drop for him. 

“Hey,” Brian said simply, wrapping his fingers around the guy’s wrist and tugging him along as he headed to the backroom. Up close the guy looked way less like Taylor and that somehow disappointed Brian, but he just kept moving, having decided that in the usual darkness of the backroom he won’t give a damn anyway.

“Hey, yourself,” the blond answered cheerfully, not minding Brian’s hastiness one bit. “I like a man of action.”

His voice was also _wrong._ But then again, Brian was sure he’ll find a thing or two to keep the trick’s mouth busy. After all, the guy was both hot _and_ easy, which in a combination made him a perfect fuck for the night. _Except that he wasn’t Taylor._

Brian grunted through his teeth in irritation at his own thoughts being completely filled with Justin, more so with each passing moment, as he practically dragged the giggling guy across the dancefloor. Maybe that was a withdrawal effect, but suddenly he felt angry, almost furious; it’s been a long time, even on Drop with its promised side effects, that he felt this way to this capacity. The trick most likely did not deserve to be manhandled in such manner, but seemed to enjoy it when Brian leaned his back against the wall of the backroom and pushed on the guy’s shoulders demandingly, forcing him to drop down on his knees. He didn’t even care to unzip his jeans, leaving it to blond guy; not seeing his face actually made Brian less angry as he observed a golden-haired head from above.

 _He still wasn’t Taylor,_ a nasty little inner voice poked at Brian while his dick was finally swallowed into a familiar wet heat of the trick’s mouth. 

Brian leaned his head back and closed his eyes, trying not to imagine Justin sucking him off. It was a long time ago when Brian decided that pretending like he was fucking Taylor meant succumbing into this whole soulmate insanity and only made him weaker to the longing, although sometimes (especially in the heat of an orgasm) it was difficult not to. 

Now it was difficult to cast away the thoughts of Justin, even thought the blowjob just began. Brian _was_ hard, getting hard seeing a handsome guy had never been a problem for him, but everything just felt off today. He was tense, the longing was coming back and something was telling Brian that no blowjob is going to suffice, unless it was damned Taylor performing it. 

A thought of getting drunk came to mind. A thought of getting high came to mind. A thought of picking up someone else who maybe looked less like Taylor came to mind. Or picking up someone who looked more like Taylor?

Instead of all that, Brian just pushed the confused trick off of himself, zipped his jeans in one swift movement and strode away, hearing a loud _“what the fuck, you weirdo”_ behind his back. His only escape (except for the drugs that he now didn’t have either) had just failed him, so Brian felt at a loss as he made his way out of the club and walked to the parking lot. For a moment he wanted to call Michael but thought better of it; if at least one of them was having any fun tonight, he wasn’t going to ruin that. 

So, when he leaned back into the driver’s seat of his car with an exhausted sigh, not about to actually drive manually tonight, and an AI as always asked him to specify his destination, he couldn’t think of another word rather than _‘home’._

 **District 17, 2270.**

Brian tried not to overthink his own actions as he pressed his chip to the reader to open the door. The realization of it was absolutely insane, but the closer he was to Justin, the better he felt. Maybe Brian will be lucky and actually manage to pretend like he was just checking on the boy.

“I knew you’d come,” Justin said, putting Brian’s holo-pad away, and tossing Brian’s hopes out of the window at the same time. “I also know you couldn’t fuck him.”

Brian regretted playing a good host earlier and letting Justin borrow a couple of his sleeveless shirts, because now he was forced to watch the exposed ivory skin that looked so soft Brian could almost feel it on his fingertips without even touching it. Justin stood from the sofa and approached Brian slowly, seeming more unsure of Brian’s reaction than timid or shy. He looked right into Brian’s face as he stopped before him and actually dared to reach his hands up and slide his long-fingered palms under Brian’s jacket to gently push it off of him. 

Brian wore a long-sleeved shirt under the jacket, but the touch seemed to burn nonetheless. It took him right to three years ago, when their hands collided accidentally and ever since then Brian couldn’t forget the feeling. Now it felt even more agonizing and blissful all at the same time and he completely understood that no amount of tricking would ever be able to replace that.

“You feel like shit, right?” Justin asked quietly as he caught the jacket from falling to the floor beneath their feet. “It’s probably the withdrawal. I think I saw your entire day.”

There was no mockery or sarcasm in his voice, just understanding, so Brian decided to be honest for a change.

“Better with you around,” he admitted seriously as Justin put his jacket on a hanger.

“Stay then,” was the quiet reply.

Brian thought that Justin was the only person he knew that could really feel the exact longing he himself felt. And if Brian was able to smother it with drugs, what in the world was Justin doing to fight it? Granted, he had no access to Drop this whole time. Being so close to his soulmate, Brian nearly forgot why did he even start this fight at all.

Three years ago, he just got this apartment and was at the station day and night, working his way up the ranks. He knew he was going to end up under the Dome sooner or later, and no soulmate was going to slow him down. Especially no repdigit with his Stub freshly taken out, sneaking outside his district illegally. 

_A repdigit._ It felt strange calling Justin that now, even just in the thoughts; it was a strange slur, too. Justin walked past Brian and stood before him once again after dealing with the jacket. He didn’t say a word and just watched instead, as if he was waiting on something. Brian’s eyes slid down from Taylor’s face and on his neck where he saw the long, ragged scar, now completely white, but still visibly standing out on the soft skin.

He just couldn’t help it.

“Did it hurt?” he asked, surprised by his own actions as he reached for the touch. Even scarred, Justin’s skin felt smooth and silky under his hand. Brian couldn’t quite define the feeling, but seeing this crooked line on Justin’s soft neck almost made _him hurt?_

“It hurt more having it,” Justin answered simply with a little shrug, seemingly trying to not give out that the touch had affected him too. He glared at Brian intently without moving his eyes and Brian himself thought that he had never seen this particular shade of blue before. “Brian?”

The need in Justin’s voice drawn Brian closer; he cupped the back of Justin’s neck and leaned in. They now stood mere inches apart, Brian could feel Justin’s breath on his skin, and it felt intoxicating.

“Yeah?” Brian answered in a barely audible whisper.

“You… you know why you came here,” Justin’s glare darted from Brian’s eyes to his lips and back. He swallowed hard. “Don’t fight it.”

Brian was dead sure that if he had at least one more shot of Drop, none of this would have happened. He was sure if it wasn’t for the unbearable longing that was now fogging his consciousness, he would have been able to explain with perfect logic why holding Justin’s neck with one hand to pull him closer while touching his full raspberry lips with the fingers of the other hand was completely, unreasonably stupid. But the odds were not on Brian’s side, so he trailed his fingers across Justin’s cheek, not remembering ever being so gentle with any of his tricks before.

Maybe because Justin wasn’t a trick. Maybe because ever since Brian saw him on the damned tape, he had been wondering exactly how do these lips taste.

 _To hell with it,_ Brian thought, and finally leaned even closer. Justin only had time for a surprised gasp before his mouth was captured in a hot, hard, needy kiss that immediately made Brian feel out of control. Justin’s lips were plump, wet, sweet and everything Brian thought they would be, if not more. The wave of heat washed over Brian’s body as he smashed his mouth against Justin’s harder, pushing his tongue inside. Justin moaned and whimpered softly, clutching at Brian’s shoulders, and that only turned Brian on more.

Except, “turned on” was a drastic underestimation in regards to what exactly Brian was feeling at the moment.

It wasn’t like anything he felt ever before. Brian had a lot of sex with a lot of handsome men, but holding Justin, kissing Justin, inhaling the heady, syrupy scent of his hair and skin made Brian lose his mind. He wanted Justin, and not a single one of his previous perfectly logical explanations as to why it was stupid or unreasonable could possibly stop him now. Right this second, he admitted that there was no going back and accepted his desire.

And then he felt it. As if his body was slowly pushed into hot water; he sensed it all: the immense need, the longing, the desire to touch and be touched, a little bit of fear, but most of all, the admiration and amazement. It’s like he saw a glimpse of Justin’s mind right in his head, and his own image was for a split of second reflected for him along with all the feelings that Justin was experiencing right now. Everything got mixed up and it was too overwhelming, so they both pulled for air, still holding each other.

“What was that?” Brian whispered against the side of Justin’s face.

“I don’t know,” Justin breathed out heavily, startled. “It’s like I felt you inside my head.”

Brian didn’t care any longer, he was away from Justin’s mouth for too long. After all, he knew about Justin’s power this whole time and it had never harmed him before. He cupped Justin’s face with his hands once again to pull him back in.

“Wait,” Justin’s fingers wrapped around Brian’s wrist to stop him. “Let me try and control it. Shouldn’t be that hard, Hunter managed right away…”

None of the mumbling made sense to Brian, but somehow even in his clouded mind he managed to understand that this mattered to Justin. So he straightened his back, making a step backwards and stood still as he observed his soulmate’s troubled, concentrated expression. 

In a few moments, Justin shot an upward glance back at Brian and immediately Brian felt a timid, soft pressure in his head, as if someone was trying to gently touch _his thoughts._ It was the strangest sensation Brian had ever experienced before.

“I could try to force it, but I don’t want to,” Justin cut the distance between them in two slow steps, stood on his tiptoes and whispered against Brian’s mouth: “Could you let me in?”

All of this was surreal already and Brian doubted that Justin could explain himself what exactly did _letting him in_ mean, since the power seemed to be brand new and yet unexplored. So, Brian did first thing that came to mind, which was just making a deep breath and relaxing, allowing the tender strain in his head to follow through, along with a new wave of heat that spread slowly through his whole body. He didn’t move as Justin initiated another kiss himself, softly brushing his sweet lips against Brian’s, nipping his upper and bottom lip gently, one after another. He was exploring, Brian realized, as he felt a slight echo of Justin’s emotions and thoughts among his own, not as intense as before.

“I can even hold back,” Justin's breathy giggle of amazement burned Brian’s lips. “But I’m not going to. Warn me if it gets too much.”

And the feelings returned with even more strength. It seemed as if their minds were conjoined, which they probably were. Brian couldn’t wait any longer, so he encircled Justin in another embrace, pulling him tight against his chest and kissed him intensely, not being able to discern his own sensations from Justin’s any longer. Justin hissed as Brian released his moth to trail his lips down to his neck, wet kisses all over; Brian himself shivered a little when _he felt_ cool air on _Justin’s_ skin. They were now moving slowly towards the bedroom with Justin walking backwards and Brian holding him in case he stumbles, all the while devouring each other in a never-ending, deep kiss. 

It didn’t take Brian long to finally push Justin on the bed when they reached it. Justin moaned in protest, grabbing on Brian’s belt immediately to pull Brian on top of him. With the last bit of will that he had, Brian stopped the kisses and looked at Justin intently, their heavy breathing mixing and burning their skin.

“I remember what you said,” Brian whispered hoarsely, lingering above Justin with both opened palms pushed into the mattress. “That you have never…”

“It doesn’t matter,” Justin cut in impatiently. “With you it’ll be right. I know that.”

Brian honestly had no idea how exactly did Justin manage to stay a virgin until twenty, looking the way he did. The only source of light they had was the neon spilling over the tall bedroom window, but that was enough for Justin’s pale silky skin to glow, his face framed with a golden halo of angel-like hair fanned out on the dark bedsheets. He looked delicate, gentle, and was soft to the touch, yet Brian knew now how strong, determined and fearless he really was, and all of these feelings overwhelmed him. 

Brian wanted to tell Justin how beautiful he was, but couldn’t put it in words. Yet a sudden smile that Justin graced him with let Brian know that he sensed these thoughts, so words were simply not needed right now.

“You think I’m beautiful,” Justin said quietly, voice filled with content. He darted his eyes away from Brian, as if trying to delve deeper into his head and find something more. “And these thoughts scare you. You think they make you weak.”

“I don’t care about it now,” Brian answered in a low voice as he felt Justin’s tender fingers trailing down his tensed bicep. He leaned in; their noses almost touching. “For the record, you are fucking hot; I have no problem admitting that.”

“Being called _fucking hot_ and _beautiful_ are different things,” Justin pushed up slightly, grinding his hips against Brian and forcing his mind to trail into a different direction completely. “But I know you think I’m both, so you don’t have to say it.”

“Good I don’t need any mind-reading powers to fuck the hell out of you,” Brian chuckled slightly before he kissed Justin again, slower and deeper this time. His whole body tingled and burned as he slid his hands under Justin’s shirt before finally pulling it off of him. 

They continued devouring each other as they undressed; kissing, licking, biting. Brian felt everything so sharply, each feeling multiplied by two; the feel of his skin on Justin’s almost made him lose his mind completely, yet he had to control himself. He knew he would feel it if Justin were to get hurt or even get slightly uncomfortable, but didn’t want as much as to risk that happening. 

Brian felt his cock heavy and hard, throbbing as it brushed against Justin’s. He gasped as Justin pushed his hand in between their bodies, wrapping his long fingers around it; Brian knew it was more just to feel it out than anything else, but groaned against Justin’s neck anyway, clenching his teeth.

A sharp slit of fear suddenly pierced his mind, and since he didn’t feel anything close to being afraid, he realized it was Justin. 

“What’s wrong?” Brian lifted his body up, nearly forcing himself to break contact; a whiff of cool air immediately touching their heated bodies. “Justin?”

The name fell of his lips gently, causing Justin to shoot his glance up at Brian.

“It’s nothing,” he shook his head, breathing heavily. Brian wasn’t having it: still unmoving, he continued to look at Justin, until Justin finally heaved: “It’s stupid…”

“I’m listening,” Brian couldn’t help a grin settling on his lips, he knew already where this was going. It didn’t take their minds conjoined to put two and two together: being a virgin, Justin got scared immediately as he touched Brian’s dick and felt the length of it.

“You narcissistic ass,” Justin suddenly laughed out loud nervously, his breath tickling Brian’s cheek. He clearly got a better control of the newly obtained power, feeling Brian’s thoughts almost instantly. “Yes, it’s huge, alright? I’ve seen it before, but this is different…”

It had no use asking the obvious, so Brian smothered the question before it was even formed in his head. Justin had already stated having a lot of visions about his soulmate, so that was probably what he was talking about. 

At this point Brian was so hard it ached.

“I won’t hurt you,” he promised and was sure he hasn’t meant anything more in his life. 

“I know,” was the response as Justin pushed up once again to give Brian a brief impatient kiss. “I’m not scared, Brian. I want it, I want… _you.”_

Brian reached over Justin’s heated body to a nightstand drawer and retrieved a bubble pack of protection capsules. They had replaced condoms long time ago, being easy to use during foreplay, quickly dissolvable while warmed and serving as a lube on top of that. Brian tossed the pack next to them as he trailed his tongue down Justin’s chest, stomach, and finally to his beautiful dick, so hard it was just asking to be swallowed. So Brian obliged, licking the whole length of it first and then finally putting it into his mouth. The sensations were hot and sharp as Brian feasted on the whole of Justin’s dick, feeling every single popping vein with his tongue thoroughly. Justin’s fingers dug into the skin on Brian’s shoulders; panting and whimpering, Justin didn’t know what to do with his hands. Their minds seemed to collide even more and thoughts mix deeper, nearly inseparable and impossible to make out which one belonged to whom.

Brian let Justin out of his mouth to pop one of the capsules from the bubble pack. Words didn’t matter and he knew it, so he just looked at Justin intently before pressing one of his fingers to the opening, feeling the soft velvety skin clench slightly. Justin gasped at the finger being pushed in; to distract him Brian licked his dick once again, breathing hot against it, all the while massaging Justin inside carefully, letting him get used to the intrusion.

Brian spent a good while stretching him, so Justin didn’t notice the moment when the capsule was softly pushed inside. They were both agonizingly hard when Brian finally straightened up above Justin, catching his misty-eyed stare; bright pouty lips swollen from kissing, silvery-pale skin wet with hot sweat and Brian’s saliva, golden hair tangled, Justin looked so ready and so beautiful that Brian had to take a second or two to appreciate the sight. 

“Brian,” Justin breathed out, eyes transfixed on his soulmate. _“You are perfect.”_

And then the feeling washed over Brian, much like his own: amazement, awe, immense desire. Justin found him beautiful too. Not that it was a surprise, but Brian couldn’t help but feel content with the discovery.

Brian lifted Justin’s legs by sliding his hands up the back of his hips, letting Justin put them on Brian’s shoulders. It was so hard to control himself and hold it together that Brian bit the inside of his cheek hard, just not to lose it completely. 

“Don’t close your eyes,” he whispered huskily, feeling the intense need to see exactly what Justin’s expression was going to be, every glint of every feeling on the bottom of his eyes as Brian finally pushed into him. “Look at me, Justin.”

It was hot inside of him. Hot, tight, soft, and blissfully amazing. Justin clenched around his cock as he obediently followed Brian’s order to look directly at him, and Brian hasn’t seen any pain reflected on his face thus far, nor did he feel it. So Brian pushed harder until he was there completely, gripping on to Justin’s thighs, still biting vigorously on his cheek to hold it together. He took a deep breath, letting Justin adjust for a moment, and then thrusted, seemingly even deeper.

Justin moaned softly, clenching Brian inside of him once again. He didn’t speak a word, just stretched his hands up towards Brian, clasping them on the back of his neck and pulling his soulmate in for a wet, sloppy kiss. After that, Brian couldn’t hold back any longer.

He lunged at Justin, nearly folding him in half, holding his legs under his knees. With each long, deep, lingered thrust Brian swallowed Justin’s moans and whimpers with devouring kisses, not giving him any break. The velvety tightness made Brian lose it as he pushed deeper, nearing the edge. He could feel Justin being close too; their loins tangled just as tight as their thoughts. 

_“Brian,”_ Justin panted into his soulmate’s mouth as Brian thrusted harder into him. “Brian, _please…”_

Nobody had ever said his name in a hotter way during sex before. Brian’s sweat was dripping down his chin and the drenched hair stuck to his forehead. The pace was getting more and more frantic and chaotic, so Justin now let out a moan each time Brian pushed in. With one last thrust Brian wrapped Justin’s cock in his hand, tugging on it, as Justin’s orgasming body shuddered underneath him. The tightest to far clench around Brian finally pushed him over the edge and he exploded, groaning through his teeth.

They were both exhausted and drenched in sweat as Brian pulled himself out carefully and rolled on his back, delighted with a sensation of cold silky sheets under his heated skin. Brian could no longer sense Justin’s presence in his mind, so he turned his head to look at his soulmate, both of their chests still heaving.

“You okay?” he managed to ask, slowly steadying his breath.

“More than okay,” Justin looked at Brian warmly and suddenly grinned. “I guess fucking all the blond guys in Zion had paid off.”

“Yeah, you were the last on my list,” Brian countered and felt a playful nudge on his shoulder as they both laughed.

Brian hasn’t felt that content in a long while; as if his whole body was now filled with shimmering warmth, something he missed this whole time finally found its place, a longing deep inside his chest was finally fulfilled. Laying there, satisfyingly limp, his fingertips touching Justin’s slightly, Brian wasn’t at all ready for his phone to ring. A sharp, demanding sound in the middle of the night couldn’t possibly mean anything good.

“Kinney,” Brian switched to his collected cop voice after he tapped slightly behind his ear to pick up the call. Justin pushed his body up with his elbow and looked at Brian with a clear worry on his frowning face. 

“Evening, Lieutenant,” Chief Horvath’s voice answered. “Sorry to interrupt your Friday. I’m afraid I’m going to need you and Novotny to come to the station right away.” 

Brian didn’t bother being sarcastic, since Chief’s tone didn’t leave any place for witty remarks, so he just waited a couple of seconds for an explanation. And he got it; a few tensed moments later Horvath finally said:

“Mayor Stockwell is dead.”


	12. The Secret

**District 29, 2270.**

“Your latest appearance on the news was a good thing,” Melanie Marcus said, eyes focused on her holo-pad, checking the news. “Not to mention all the higher-ups are scared shitless now of the rebellion,” she tossed the pad on the desk and leaned back into her deep-seated chair comfortably, now focusing her hawk-eyed glare on Chris. “With the right approach, you will overtake the city within a day, the vote will take mere hours. But are you sure, Mr. Hobbs? Why so eager?” 

“I hired you as a public relations manager,” Chris replied in a cold, callous tone. “Not as a shrink.”

Melanie was his father’s representative, whenever he needed one, so now it was only logical to come to her. Chris knew he couldn’t trust her fully, which was a little underwhelming, but she was damn good at her job. And that was exactly what Chris was looking for. With Stockwell out of the way, last thing he needed was to slip at something so easy as winning general public’s admiration. 

“Stockwell’s kids are way too young to participate,” Melanie ignored Chris’s insolence completely, preferring to focus on her work. “His wife was never into politics to begin with. That will also play out in your favor.”

She seemed a little too suspicious for his liking, Chris thought. Her attentive deep-brown eyes were sharp and tracking his every move; her slim, tanned body, wrapped in a tight black two-piece suit, was tense. She ran her thin fingers through the silky strains of auburn hair as she sighed heavily, appearing as she was thinking something over.

She wasn’t stupid, Chris knew that. But he wasn’t stupid either. He needed her expertise to run for Mayor and win, after that he might as well end her. Same way he will be able to end anyone standing in his way. As much confident and seemingly fearless she presented, Chris knew everyone had weaknesses. And soon enough he will know all about those weaknesses, not only Melanie’s, but absolutely anyone’s. 

All he needed was the mayor’s char. _And Taylors._

“There are not nearly enough people who would want to take the office with the city in a state that it is in,” Melanie continued, long-fingered hands resting on the desk in front of her. “So, all we need is for you to appear and save the day.”

“What can I say, Miss Marcus,” he shrugged nonchalantly, a smirk twisting his lips. “I’m ready when you are.”

“You better appear like you’re grieving, too,” Melanie frowned at him and returned to her pad, probably to schedule a few public appearances for him. “Mayor’s body hasn’t gone cold yet, and you are already in my office.”

“Does it really bother you?” Chris leaned his body across the desk to hover menacingly above her. “You know you can trust me, Miss Marcus.”

There was a glimpse of fear in her eyes before she squinted in a cat-like manner and looked at him, irritated.

“It does,” she hissed out, but in a matter of seconds let out a sigh in an attempt to compose herself and gave him a reassuring look. “Listen, Chris. I knew you since you were a child, I helped your father. And I want to help you,” oh, he knew where this was going. “You understand how it looks, right? You coming here mere hours after the Mayor’s death, and… I just want you to know, I can help you. If you tell me the truth.” 

It didn’t take a full week for Chris’s people to find out what kind of device the Mayor was using and (considering the amount of work and resources put into the remote's development) come up with a solution. He paid them well for keeping their mouths shut and doing their jobs, so none of them actually voiced any suspicions to him. Bribing one of the Mayor’s bodyguards into carrying a smaller version of the powers remote in development and just checking if it affects Mayor in any way also proved to be pretty easy. 

And what do you know, it worked. Chris didn’t expect it to be so smooth and easy, but it was. And now he even felt a little startled and confused as to what to do next, but found himself quickly in Melanie’s office. Was he hasty? He wasn’t sure. What he knew was that as soon as he secures the office, there will be no stopping to his plans. 

“How endearing,” Chris drawled, straightening his back and eyeing Melanie down. “I have no idea what you are talking about. I will be waiting for your call.”

He yanked his overcoat off the hanger by the door and strode out of the room, leaving Melanie alone with her thoughts. She was so consumed by all of the suspicious in her head that she didn’t even notice a large black crow swishing its wings behind her window; if she did, she would have probably reported it to be dealt with. The bird, however, seemed to lose its interest and flew across the Trinity square all the way to Veracity.

“God damn pests,” an officer on the scene growled, reaching for his remote controlled taser. Brian noticed him and had time to approach before the officer found out how to slide the window open. “How the fuck do they still get under the Dome? Morning, Lieutenant.”

“I’ll deal with it,” Brian answered without a greeting and eyed the confused cop impatiently. “Didn’t Horvath need you for something?” 

“He did? Better go if the Chief needed me,” the officer mumbled. Brian had no remorse for lying to him, but a lot of irritation for Lindsay who claimed she cared about her birds, yet had no issue flying around Veracity so carelessly. 

Brian pulled the window open carefully, frowning at the bird that was still there, hovering in the air. It must have been something urgent, yet something Lindsay only wanted to share in person. In any event, Brian had a lot of pressing issues himself, like dead Stockwell for example, so he couldn’t just leave because Lindsay wanted so. 

“If you want the bird to live, get the fuck out of here, Lindsay,” Brian hissed, his words picked up and carried away by the wind. “I’ll see you as soon as I can. Just wait somewhere by the car.”

The bird croaked something at Brian and finally turned its large body in the air to leave. Brian slid the window closed, stopping the wind from getting into the warm room he was in. The Dome was gray today, thick silvery clouds hanging above the Trinity. It wasn’t cold or raining, yet this kind of choice for weather was also pretty rare. It took them about three hours to get to the station, finally deal with the fuss and arrive at the scene, so now Brian could see pink brushes of the nascent dawn on the horizon line.

“News aren’t aware yet,” Horvath told them and Brian finally stepped closer towards the body. “Nobody in Zion is aware except for his family and some of the... important people.”

“You mean Hobbs?” Brian folded his arms across his chest, throwing a quick glance at Michael to make sure he was doing fine. His friend never did get used to seeing corpses. “To what do _we_ owe the honor, then?”

“I figured with Taylor missing,” Horvath frowned at Brian’s sarcastic tone, but didn’t actually say anything. “Maybe the resistance has something to do with it.”

“Last time we were there they wanted to talk to him,” Michael interjected and swallowed hard, clearly fighting his nausea. “Not murder him.”

“And how long did he ignore them?” Brian raised an eyebrow at Michael in reply. He knew he was throwing Justin under the bus, but in a way, this played out in their favor. If Chief were to believe that Justin is somewhere out there, hiding, he will most likely be thrown off. 

Stockwell’s body was spread in the middle of the room, right on one of the soft, ridiculously expensive rugs he and Taylor Senior seemed to enjoy so much. His tie was askew, as if he tried to remove it and was pulling on it in agony; his eyes rolled into the back of his head, mouth still opened up, lips twisted. There was no blood and overall to Brian the body looked like that of an asphyxia victim. Brian felt absolutely nothing looking at it, as it was simply an object, a part of the crime scene. He saw Stockwell on holovision, of course, but had no idea about his personality so didn’t pity the man either.

“His wife found him like this,” Horvath explained, waving away a tiny photographer drone that nearly collided with his head. “She said he had a condition, so that might have killed him. However, considering the suddenness of this, the rebellion and the fact that he was the Mayor, we better investigate.”

“Scanning results are ready, Chief!” someone from the back of the room yelled. “I think you might want to look.”

A bunch of officers settled an improvised laboratory on Stockwell’s working desk as soon as all the possible fingerprints were collected and they made sure doing so won’t contaminate the crime scene. Brian approached them and their equipment, closely following Horvath.

“What do you have?” the Chief grunted, leaning closer to the holo-pad that was offered to him immediately.

_“This,”_ the cop replied simply, pointing at a tiny black spot on the scan. “We are yet to find out what it this exactly, but apparently it was vital to our Mayor, since it stopped functioning right before he died.”

After another hour of studying the room and finally getting a statement that the tiny spot on Stockwell’s body scan pictures was an unidentified device, stimulating his kidney activity, Brian noticed Horvath questioning if the Mayor’s death was a murder at all. Obviously, there were still people to question, which Brian and Michael were going to do, yet the Chief didn’t seem as sure as he was before.

Brian walked out of the Mayor’s suite in desperate need of a smoke, he also needed to pick Lindsay’s bird up and secure it in his car. He was planning to return, at least that was what he told Michael, yet all he could think about was seeing Justin in the evening and even the death of their Mayor didn’t seem that big of a deal. Being with Justin was addicting and Brian didn’t know what was worse: that or Drop. Brian understood that Stockwell was probably marked and Horvath was right suspecting an assassination, yet how and by whom was still a question. What Brian did know was that it for sure couldn’t have been Justin.

Brian wasn’t sure anymore if sleeping with Taylor was that bad of a decision. It left him feeling better than ever before and these few minutes he had until the Chief’s call were probably the best he felt in a long time. Yet fully accepting that they had a _relationship_ wasn’t something that Brian was ever going to do. He still didn’t know what in the world will happen to Justin being in his apartment next, but completely embracing him as a soulmate and not just a great fuck was too big of a step. 

The elevator doors slid closed as Brian prepared to descend all the way to the hall of Veracity, yet someone must have hurried to get in right after; upon the brief ding sound the elevator was opened once again to reveal waiting Molly Taylor. Brian recognized the girl immediately, even though her face was swollen with tears. She seemed quite upset and was still sobbing when Brian held his wrist to the ID reader to keep the doors opened for her.

“Miss Taylor?” he raised his eyebrow at her, asking several questions simultaneously: _what’s wrong, why the tears and what in the hell are you doing here._ None of them were voiced, however: “Are you coming in?”

She eyed Brian up and down for a good half a minute, and then made several timid steps backwards.

“He _really is_ dead, isn’t he?” the girl blurted out before turning on her heels and running the opposite way of the elevator, not leaving Brian any time to reply.

It was a rare occurrence, but Brian felt genuinely confused as the doors closed once again. He just stood there, still haven’t announced the floor he wanted to get to, a deep frown spread across his forehead. _Just how did she know the Mayor was dead?_

**District 17, 2270.**

_Flash. He holds her wrist firmly, squeezing, encircling. Did you think I’d just let you go? He’d seen her before, same golden hair, same blue eyes; his sister. Tears stream down her face, did he betray her? Who is he?_

Justin gasped for air and physically shuddered as if he was forcefully pushed out of the vision. The empty dark room welcomed him back with silence so still and eerie Justin almost got scared. He was still lying in bed he and Brian shared hours ago, alone. He was still pushing his face against the pillows, smelling what was left of Brian’s scent on them.

Justin knew where Brian went. Brian himself didn’t tell him, yet they both were aware that Justin was laying close enough to hear Chief’s words. Although Justin had no idea how something like Mayor’s death could have gone unnoticed by him. He was probably way too distracted with Brian, seeing his every move, that nothing else of substance would show up in the visions. To think of it, he was barely seeing anything that wasn’t related to Brian anymore. 

He felt weak. It was a strange feeling, since all he ever wanted was to be with Brian. But, much like his soulmate was afraid of romantic attachments (no matter if he was willing to admit it or not), Justin was afraid of losing his power and his purpose. Last few days his mind was way too busy with adjusting to Brian, this place, and the new situation he was in. But now, being left completely alone in silence, worn out physically from sex and mentally from joining his and Brian’s minds, there was nothing to distract him from really thinking.

_Joining minds._ It felt surreal, just like everything else that had happened the same night, but as soon as Brian accepted him, Justin could immediately feel his new power. It was fairly easy to adjust to, and with proper training Justin was sure he could master it. He seemed to be able to invade Brian’s mind at his will and stay there, feeling glimpses of emotions and random thoughts, not exactly mind reading, but something way more complex than that. 

Still, he was too weak, too depending on Brian, he got this completely new ability he didn’t know how to train (will Brian agree? Justin wasn’t sure) and then there was Molly.

Molly was in danger, just like the vision showed. Somebody was out to get her, and Justin couldn’t let it happen. There was also Cody in the hospital, defenseless, just waiting for the cops to question him and do hell knows what else with him as soon as he wakes up. 

Yet all Justin did was lay here. In Brian’s bed. Spending endless hours (make that days at this point) scrolling through the holo-pad Brian gave him. Thanks to that he at least knew it was working out for people back at the Eleventh, since it was now independent. 

He thought about Daphne and Hunter and his mom again. As much as he wanted to stay with Brian, even if his soulmate was only protecting him to save himself, Justin had to leave to be with those who needed him. He wasn’t sure about how was he going to bring this up to Brian, but it was worth a try.

Was it?

It took Justin at least one more hour to pull himself out of bed and under the shower and into the living room eventually. The holo-pad just wasn’t doing it for him any longer, so he was going insane with boredom. He neatly made the bed, cleaned up around the apartment, and just sat at the bar stool for what seemed like hours, hoping Brian wouldn’t freak out after tonight and actually show up.

Sitting up on a stool proved a little more uncomfortable than Justin anticipated, yet he didn’t regret it. For years he kept thinking about the same thing, how does it feel to be with Brian. And finally, he got his answer. It was amazing, and it was more than he ever thought it would be. Brian was gentle with him, considerate and caring, yet hot at the same time. He was beautiful. _They_ were beautiful together. 

But Justin was needed elsewhere. He kept trying to make up a plan, or a sequence of actions at least: first he had to talk to Brian, then rescue Cody, then find out what was wrong with Molly. But how was he going to actually do any of that, Justin had no idea. Getting Cody out was only possible with Brian’s help. Even approaching the Eleventh was an issue, not to mention leaving Brian’s apartment in the first place.

Subtle crinkling of the security locks distracted Justin, immediately forcing him out of the heavy thoughts. As soon as he recognized the sound, however, he felt a wave of relief; Brian was here after all.

“How well do you know your sister?” was the first thing Brian asked him, tossing his coat over the sofa.

“Not at all,” Justin swallowed a snarky _‘nice to see you too’,_ figuring it wasn’t the time for that. “What’s wrong?” 

He felt Brian studying him for a while, as if his soulmate wasn’t sure how much to let on. Justin knew it was unfair, yet he couldn’t help himself to focus his best and slightly push into Brian’s thoughts, more asking for entrance than actually forcing his way in. Justin felt the power within him and was sure that with enough concentration he could force it if he would have wanted so, but that wouldn’t go unnoticed by Brian, therefore it wasn’t an option. 

“Don’t fucking try that,” Brian growled warningly as Justin was pushed out of his thoughts with a force surprising for someone who never had any power and didn’t know how it worked. Brian took a long, calming breath. “I saw her today. She was aware of Stockwell’s death before anyone else was.”

“You saw Molly?” Justin slid down from the stool to approach Brian, looking at him intently. “Listen, Brian …”

“How come she was never registered?” Brian interrupted and almost as if he was avoiding Justin, went up to the kitchen bar and picked an unfinished bottle of whiskey. “Do you know what her power is? Was she in on whatever you planned at the Eleventh?”

“Hold on there,” Justin raised both of his hands in the air following Brian to the kitchen that he had just left and feeling stupid for doing so. “I saw her in visions couple of times, that's it. Actually, just today, which I wanted to talk to you about… I didn’t even know she had a power. How are you so sure?” 

Brian held the bottle, staring at it for a moment, seemingly contemplating if he should drink or not. Having eventually decided against it, he pushed the bottle away and put both hands on the bar counter firmly, eyeing the countertop and not giving even a short glance to Justin. 

“She has a power, that much I’m sure of,” Brian said quietly in a low voice. “If it’s the same as yours, she might be innocent. If it isn’t, she had something to do with the Mayor’s death.”

“She’s in danger,” Justin whispered as he put his palm on top of Brian’s hand. His whole body urged him to do so, and he complied. “I don’t know why, but there is someone that wants to harm her. And that will happen unless I do something. Brian, I…”

Brian finally looked up to hold Justin’s glare. Justin felt as if a jolt of electricity rolled through his body when he saw how serious and intent Brian’s hazel, sharp eyes were, so he choked on his next words. 

“You aren’t going to leave, Justin,” Brian stated simply. “That will just get us both killed.”

Justin jerked his hand away and stepped backwards, further from the counter, letting out a heavy sigh of irritation. He anticipated this answer, yet still struggled to understand just how Brian could be so stuck-up. 

“This is bigger than us, Brian,” Justin kept his calm, but his voice was still menacingly low and steady. “Actually, according to you, there is no _us_ either way, so I don’t get why are you bothered,” he folded his arms across his chest. “I get that you don’t want to die. Believe it or not, me neither. So how about you just drop me off at the Eleventh and I try my best not to get killed?”

“Now that would be against the law, wouldn’t it, Mr. Taylor?” Brian drawled sarcastically, probably just to stall the conversation, since he knew that it was going nowhere anyway.

“As if keeping me here isn’t!” Justin snapped, throwing his hands in the air. “Cody is captured, my sister is in danger, my friends are risking their lives to protect our district and you fear for your life so much you can’t even let me go!”

At this point Justin was just fighting Brian for his own freedom and not even considering asking him for help with Cody. He felt so annoyed he actually contemplated forcing himself inside Brian’s head to let him see just how determined Justin was, maybe help Brian feel what he felt. 

“This is not my fight,” Brian’s eyes glared in a threatening way as soon as Justin implied that he was scared. “The only reason why you are still not at Horvath’s mercy is the fact that my life depends on yours. And trust me when I say this, Taylor, if I had any say in it, it wouldn’t.”

Brian’s words cut further and wounded deeper than Justin thought they would. He never deluded himself into thinking that after last night they were going to live happily ever after, yet hearing Brian admit that he didn’t care about Justin was… _hurtful._ It burned and stung as Justin swallowed hard and tried to turn his sadness into anger instead.

“Yeah. I get it. Not your fight,” he hissed venomously, holding Brian’s eyes. “You never had to care about being abused or treated like you’re nothing. A pretty, _normal_ boy, raised in clean, _normal_ neighborhood. Nice apartment, steady job, loving mommy and daddy, everything on a silver…”

Justin didn’t have time to finish his sentence. Actually, he didn’t even have time to register Brian’s movements; in one swift motion Brian was already in front of him, hovering so close above that Justin could count his long eyelashes one by one. For a second a strange thought passed in Justin’s head: if Brian wanted to harm him, he could have already done so. Brian wrapped his fingers firmly around Justin’s chin, lifting it, and there was nothing gentle in the touch. 

“You don’t know shit about my life,” his breath burned against Justin’s lips. “Not everyone likes to play the victim.”

Both of them just stood in the middle of the room, glaring at each other. Justin sensed a pinch of guilt for just assuming how Brian’s childhood went, since he was wearing his Stub that whole time and couldn’t possibly see anything of Brian’s early years. 

“Brian…” was all Justin was able to whisper when his soulmate released him abruptly to stride across the kitchen and into the living room where he picked up his coat. 

A few painful heartbeats after, Justin heard some heavy footsteps, a slam of the door and was left alone as the security locks crinkled once again.


	13. The Way Things Should

**District 17, 2270.**

“Lindsay!” Brian hollered, banging on her door. He snickered drunkenly before yelling: “Police, open up!”

The ghosts of his past hovered above him as he left Justin Taylor behind in the apartment several hours earlier. Jack Kinney was six feet under since so long ago, and yet still haunted Brian restlessly. He was the only reason Brian ever thought of becoming a cop; at the time that seemed to be the only way to apprehend the abusive drunk his father was. To become a man of power. 

Damned Taylor and his assumptions. Brian was never raised in a _loving_ home. In fact, Brian would prefer to be born in the Eleventh and have both his parents truly care about him instead of having a _normal_ family, perfect on the outside, but oh so flawed in actuality. Justin didn’t know half the abuse Brian went through to earn what he had now, Justin, really, didn’t know anything at all. And was too young, anyway.

Brian was perfectly aware of the fact that both things he did before vising Lindsay were highly irresponsible. At first, he set a random route for the AI in his car and took his time just riding around the Seventeenth with no real purpose in mind and eventually as his thoughts slowly darkened, becoming deeper and deeper, he couldn’t stop himself from drinking. 

That was a rare occasion, but Justin’s words really pushed Brian over the edge. On top of that, with each passing day Brian realized that the whole situation he was now in grew more and more twisted. Truth told; he couldn’t even determine at this point if he would manage to make his way out of this alive. So, he just wanted some time alone in the distance from everything that had to do with Stockwell’s death or the rebellion or Justin Taylor. He wanted to feel _empty._ And with each drink, in the car that carried him down the glistening narrow highways of his district on autopilot, he truly did feel empty, even if for just a short time.

Although, Brian obviously didn’t plan on getting as drunk as he did.

Hobbs was now running for mayor, and he hated Justin with his guts, that much Brian knew. He also knew that Chris wasn’t going to be a peaceful and protective kind of ruler he wanted to seem, Brian simply had way too much experience with people to believe that. Brian was looping the whole thing in his head on the way to Lindsay’s, and now as he stood before her door, positively drunk, it almost seemed funny. The same way it does if one says a word out loud for way too many times. 

“Good _God,_ Brian! Get inside, now,” Lindsay shrieked after finally opening the door and hurriedly hauled still snickering Brian through the doorway. “I don’t even want to know how did you get here.”

“The wonders of technical progress!” Brian exclaimed, letting her practically drag himself. “Also known as the autopilot.”

“Whatever,” was the breathless reply. Lindsay was way too thin to actually be able to carry Brian, and he stopped leaning on her so much. “You do know I have important information to share, right? How do you plan on processing it in such state?”

“You’re no fun,” Brian babbled dismissively before being released and shoved down by a pair of firm hands on his shoulders. In a second he appeared to be sitting on something soft (a chair?) and happily leaned back with a long, relieved sigh. “In my defense… I didn’t plan to get _this_ drunk.” Brian lolled his head on the back of the chair, eyeing the ceiling, and swallowed hard. His hoarse voice now sounded way more serious. “I was also thinking about Jack.”

“Oh, Brian,” She sighed, approaching him. He saw a tall dusty glass of water hovering above his face. “Why haven’t you talked to Michael? He knows a lot about your past, and…”

“Michael would have pitied me. And I hate it when Michael pities me,” Brian waved away the glass before Lindsay snorted in irritation and shoved it towards him once again. “When _anyone_ pities me, actually… besides, you said you have information. How is your bird, by the way?”

Before visiting Justin, Brian did catch one of Lindsay’s crows just like he promised and drove from under the Dome before releasing it to fly away. And now he was using this fact as a distraction for Lindsay not to pry further with questions about his father. She seemed to pick up on that.

“He’s fine, home safe and sound,” Lindsay replied softly as she sat in the chair against Brian’s, putting a calming palm on his knee. “Thanks for caring. Now take the damned water, it has a sobering pill in it,” she ordered. 

“I hate the after effects,” Brian grumbled, feeling a lot better while just staring up, unmoving. He would much prefer shots. Sobering shots basically just sped up the whole process of being drunk, accelerating the way one’s body reacted to alcohol, and the effect was permanent. Pills, on the other hand, were a cheap version of it and only influenced a person temporarily. Meaning, Brian would eventually be drunk again, but had a few moments to listen to Lindsay. 

He obliged eventually, taking the offered glass out of Lindsay’s hand and emptying it in three large gulps. After all, he was the one to blame for getting himself drunk in the first place. “Now,” he heaved. “What was it that you wanted to tell me?” 

“I’ll give you a few moments,” Lindsay patted his knee and for a second he wanted to just break down and tell her everything, but held himself together. “Have you heard about Hobbs?”

“The king is dead,” Brian muttered incoherently, not feeling any effects of the pill yet. “Long live the king.”

“Something like that,” Lindsay said quietly. “He wasn’t elected yet, but somehow I know he will be.”

“He will be,” Brian echoed. Only then did he start hearing the usual croaking of Lindsay’s birds though the slowly fading drunken buzz in his head. The thought of this brief clarity being only temporary made him regret ever swallowing any alcohol this evening.

Lindsay’s little apartment was full of shadows and barely lit, as always. As Brian’s vision stopped being blurry, he trailed his eyes slowly from one edge of the room to another and raised his head, anticipating dizziness, but it didn’t come.

“Ready?” Lindsay probed, looking at him attentively. 

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Brian drawled in response, borderline sarcastic. “Shoot.”

“The Taylor girl is conspiring with Hobbs,” Lindsay blurted without holding anything back. “I saw her talking to him the other day at the Trinity, about some device… do I make sense?”

“Yeah,” Brian exhaled, for some reason expecting to hear something of that sort. “Stockwell died of a kidney condition. That device was the only thing that kept him alive and it stopped working out of the blue. I guess now we know why.”

He straightened up in his chair, his mind going a million miles per minute. So, Molly was definitely involved in Stockwell’s death, but why? What reason would she have to want him dead if she herself had a power? Did Chris know she had a power? Questions rushed through Brian’s head, not a single one of them answered. 

“Hobbs ran to a PR representative as soon as Stockwell died,” Lindsay continued. “Seeking advice, I assume. She didn’t seem willing to help him at first, but complied soon enough,” Lindsay bit the inside of her cheek, seemingly deep in thought. “I don’t like this one bit, Brian. Chris is bad news.”

Chris _was_ bad news. But as long as he kept his business in his office, and it didn’t bother Brian, Brian didn’t care. Or so he told himself. 

As they sat there quietly, both lost deep in thoughts, the pill started wearing off. 

“I had to tell you all of this as soon as possible,” Lindsay stared at Brian’s tense posture, probably trying to determine how soon is he going back to being drunk. “I just want you to know I’d appreciate if you would have shown up sober.”

“A little too late for that,” Brian sighed, rubbing his face with both opened palms. He took a pause, and then drawn his hands away to look at Lindsay. “Thank you, Linds.”

“At least you’re less snarky when you’re drunk,” she murmured gingerly and ruffled Brian’s hair, and he, for a change, didn’t even complain about it. “You’ll solve it, Brian. I trust you.”

The last thing Brian remembered was Lindsay asking if he wanted to crash on her couch. He declined politely and was then dragged out of the stuffy apartment and through the noisy (a lot, _a lot_ of footsteps echoing) flight of stairs, and eventually outside. Fresh evening air felt pretty nice, Brian had the time to inhale some before he was shoved in the backseat of his car. 

“Hey,” he heard Lindsay call the AI.

“Miss Peterson,” the AI immediately replied, familiar with Lindsay. “Are you in need of a ride?”

“Lieutenant Kinney is unfit to drive,” Lindsay said curtly as Brian snorted at her words. “And I’m not going with him.”

“Very well. Specify a destination.”

“Home,” Lindsay shrugged, oblivious to the fact that Brian still had his old apartment set as ‘home’ for the AI. “Take him _home.”_

Brian was way too drunk and tired to actually hear her say the words, the only thing he discerned before drifting off to sleep were the familiar clicks of his car doors locking him inside. In a second, he let the soft, empty darkness enclose on him, claiming his tortured mind, at least for some time. 

“You’ve reached your destination, Lieutenant,” the words were repeated over and over again, which eventually got Brian to open his eyes. He felt much better now after a short nap, although still a little disoriented. He made the windows slide down to air the car, anticipating to find himself under the Dome, but saw the familiar streets of Seventeenth instead and frowned in confusion. 

It took him about a minute to put two and two together and understand that Lindsay had unknowingly sent him to his old apartment with the _damned Taylor_ inside of it.

Brian didn’t plan on returning here today, so he sat in the car for quite a while as he contemplated spending another hour on the road and the security check to get under the Dome. Having no sleep the previous night and getting as wasted as Brian did a few hours ago didn’t help him in any of the right decision making.

Or maybe it did, because eventually he stepped out of the car; slow, heavy steps. The neon of Seventeenth district was especially blinding today, since Brian’s eyes didn’t have much time to adjust after the darkness inside of the vehicle. Inhaling a lungful of cold midnight air, Brian gave himself a minute to clear his mind. He just wanted some rest, that’s all, and if he was lucky, Taylor would already be asleep anyway.

Lucky he wasn’t. Or at least not today, since the first thing he saw upon entering the flat was Justin. The boy sat at the windowsill, eying the district absentmindedly, and shuddered hearing Brian shut the door. 

“What if someone sees you?” greetings always seemed useless for Brian. His mind was still foggy as he tossed the jacket right on the floor and nearly stumbled out of the hallway and into the living room. 

“Out of the window on the tenth floor?” was the reply as Justin slid off the windowsill and approached Brian timidly. “Brian, I wanted to…”

“You were right,” Brian interjected, descending into the sofa with a heavy sigh. The words escaped his mouth before he could think long enough, somehow Justin’s presence combined with alcohol seemed to… _relax him?_ Brian was never the one to lead lengthy conversations, especially about his past. But he already began, so what the hell. 

“What?”

“I _was_ raised as a normal boy,” he stretched his legs and decided in his mind that he wasn’t getting up from this very sofa for at least several more hours. “I wasn’t treated like I’m nothing. At least not by the society.”

“By whom, then?” Justin’s face bore a soft, attentive expression and his voice sounded as quiet as a whisper when he sat next to Brian. “Someone in your family?” 

“I spent years trying to prove to my father that I was worthy of something,” Brian’s face grew grim. “And you know what? It never worked. The only thing he thought I was worthy of was being beat the shit out of on the regular.” 

Justin fell silent, and in a several moments Brian felt the need to look at his face. To his own surprise, he didn’t detect any pity, just a solemn, stern expression. Brian had no idea as to why did he even decide to share anything at all with Taylor, but just having the boy near somehow made him feel better. It was probably one of the many soulmate things he never knew of. 

“I’m sorry,” Justin said quietly, his face outlined by the dim neon lights outside the window. “And I’m sorry for lashing out on you.”

“Happens,” Brian shrugged dismissively before he sensed it again: a careful, probing pressure on his mind. Earlier on he was able to resist, but currently he doubted that his tiredness would let him to even try and push Justin out.

Justin’s warm soft palm found its way on Brian’s neck, cupping it and tugging gently, until Brian’s unresisting body was put in a horizontal position, head on the boy’s lap. Brian had no strength to oppose anything right now, whether it was his attraction to Taylor or Taylor himself trying to creep into his mind.

“I’ve got an idea,” Justin whispered, adjusting himself on the couch so he and Brian would be comfortable. “Just… trust me, okay? Don’t fight.”

“Fine,” Brian complied, trying to at least sound reluctant, as he relaxed his mind completely, relinquishing control to Justin. And then there was _everything._

Brian suddenly felt sheer, pure joy, and the wind was blowing in his face and nothing in this world could stop him. Glimpses of Justin’s memories were flashing in his mind, feelings attached to them. They were incoherent at first, but slowly Brian could discern an opened, never-ending field, and a bright golden sunlight on the horizon line. Looking at it, apparently, made Justin happy back then, because now Brian felt content, almost blissful as he was shared these memories with. As soon as Brian adjusted his eyes to the sun, however, and saw people running around the field in the distance, Justin was quickly gone from his mind, leaving Brian… _disappointed?_

“These are some of my best memories,” Justin explained in case Brian was wondering. Brian wasn’t. “And how they make me feel. I thought sharing was a good idea, since you were upset.”

“Why did you stop?” Brian genuinely wondered as he felt Justin’s fingers trail through his hair.

“Can’t have you recognizing the scenery,” the boy giggled in response. “It was just me and my friends training powers for the first time. Amazing day.”

Brian would have nodded his head if he could, but he was still laying face up on Justin’s lap. Even though his soulmate wasn’t in his mind any longer, the memory he shared with Brian left him feeling light and calm, as if there was not a care in the world. 

And right now, there wasn’t. Brian stared into the darkness of the room, soft, gentle fingers still playing with his hair, and thought about Justin, his friends and all the civilians down at the Eleventh, fighting simply to be accepted. Just like he, Brian, had fought (and lost) to be accepted by his father. 

Absentmindedly, Brian captured one of Justin’s palms, wrapping his fingers around it, and just held it, feeling soothed at the touch. Jack Kinney was dead and there was no chance for Brian to ever prove anything to him. 

But Justin… he still had his chance. 

**District 29, 2270.**

“I couldn’t have wished for a better advisor than you, Miss Marcus,” Chris Hobbs drawled with a glint of menacing pleasure in his eyes. “Would you just look at these results.”

Melanie stood quietly behind his shoulder, tense as ever. She was always uneasy in Chris’s presence, but today she felt even more so, surrounded by his goons while they watched the last step of the voting live. 

She could have rejected him when Chris first contacted her, but for some reason unknown even to herself, she didn’t. Melanie was always _involved,_ some would say over-involved, not just in her job, but also in the events happening around her. So, Chris on the doorstep of her office sparked her curiosity and she couldn’t help herself but to get involved once again. Even if she had to put up with helping him get into the mayor’s office for now, it was still worth it. She might find out something useful or influence the city in some way. Was it dangerous? Probably. Did she care enough to stop? No.

Besides, by the time she scheduled the first media event for Chris, it was already way too late. 

“How about I promise them to crush the Eleventh and turn it into dust?” he asked of Melanie back then, eyes glistening with overexcitement of his upcoming public appearance. “Do you think that’ll get me votes?”

At that moment, Melanie saw him as a little silly boy, still playing with fake laser guns and scared to no end of what it was that he had gotten himself into. He was overwhelmed, scared, and completely lost his usual collected self. She smiled at him there, softening a bit, and put a calming hand on his shoulder.

“Promise them you will protect the Dome instead,” she advised carefully. “People here don’t care for a war, Chris, they just want to be safe.”

He frowned a little at first, and then nodded vigorously, as if her words suddenly made perfect sense. It was at that moment when Melanie decided that if she had a slight chance to influence him, it was better for her to take it and not ignore it. Something was telling her that Chris was going to become the Mayor or end Zion trying, with or without her.

But now, when she stood near him watching the results on holovision, Melanie was doubting herself once again. Chris was back to his callous, cold attitude and somehow Melanie knew that it will only get more out of hand as soon as he will officially secure the office. Suddenly the concept of being a good influence or any influence whatsoever on him seemed impossible.

“You weren’t lying when you said it won’t take long,” for a mere second she could hear the sheer boyish amazement in his voice, it almost seemed like he was giddy. “Come _on.”_ He whispered impatiently. 

Melanie spent a lot of time studying the rest of the candidates, and there were not many. Most of Zion’s politicians were frightened of the Eleventh, just like she thought they would, and those who weren’t simply didn’t have the same influence and power as Chris. He had his well-known tech empire, he was young, promising, and (thanks to Melanie) quite convincing in his public speeches. It wasn’t a surprise that he held all the cards, which were now at this very moment securing his victory.

Newsmen held their breaths as the last results poured in, and finally, the voting stopped with Chris winning eighty percent of Zion’s votes. Chris took his time clapping through the channels, as if he was gorging on all the attention he saw. In each news studio there were congratulations, soon, Melanie was sure, his phone was going to start ringing for the same reason.

“Mayor Hobbs, huh?” after a brief silence Chris spun around slowly to look at Melanie and a bunch of his goons. He spread his arms. “Am I to be congratulated or what?” 

“Congratulations, Chris,” Melanie replied sternly, and an echo of _“congratulations, Mr. Hobbs”_ from the bodyguards followed her along with some clapping. “I hope you make the best of this opportunity.”

“I sure will,” a corner of his lips jerked in a barely covered excitement as he sat behind his desk and laced his fingers together on top of it. “Now, Miss Marcus, we have an issue to settle.”

It wasn't that Melanie hasn’t been anticipating this kind of situation at all. She tried to stay calm as she heard, _felt_ the men behind her move a step ahead, threatening her quietly and making sure she had nowhere to run. Shivers rushed down her spine under Chris’s piercing glare.

“I’m sure you are very pleased assisting me, Melanie,” he began in a menacing tone, yet interrupted himself quickly. “I assume there is no issue with us being on the first name basis, is there? You call me Chris all the time, so I just followed along.” He shrugged.

“Sure,” Melanie rasped, her throat tight and dry.

“Splendid,” Chris nodded with a venomous smile twisting his lips. “As I was saying, there is no reason for us to stop our mutual cooperation. Unless you wish so,” he gestured slightly at the men behind Melanie’s back. “But in that case, I might feel quite threatened and my guards will be forced to take action.”

Deep inside, Melanie knew. She knew Chris was aware that she was way too smart to not see past his usual charm he used on everyone else, he also was impatient now and thrilled to test just how far his power reached. She regretted ever helping him at this point, but nonetheless, managed a curt nervous smile. 

“That would be unnecessary,” she nearly whispered. “I’m sure we can come up with some kind of compromise.”

“Why Melanie, it’s your lucky day. I already have,” Chris tapped on his wrist to decline yet another call. “You stay by my side and continue to make me look the perfect Mayor I am,” he put his opened palms back on the desk. “And in return, you get to walk out of this office. Granted, you’ll return first thing in the morning, of course.”

“Listen, Chris, there’s no…”

“Nuh-uh-uh,” metronome-like, he motioned his index finger. “No objections. I knew you wanted to walk away from me, was I right?” 

“Yes, but…”

“Well, I find your help _absolutely irreplaceable,_ Miss Marcus,” he interrupted Melanie yet again, leaning back in his chair. “So, just take it as a compliment. Do we have a deal?”

Did she really have any choice? Melanie sighed, knowing that this was not the time to be defiant if she truly wanted to live. The thoughts of what exactly did she get herself into were pushed aside in her head as she nodded reluctantly:

“Yes. You’ve got a deal.”


	14. Against Evil Company

**District 11, 2270.**

“For the last time,” Callie raised her main hand in the air warningly. “Where are they?”

“Fuck if I know, bitch!” the cop scowled at her. “Your little friends might as well be fucking dead!”

In an instant, Hunter teleported right in front of him. With visible disgust twisting his mouth, Hunter gun-butted against the side of yelling officer’s face and even Daphne, who sat in the very corner of the watch post, could hear a loud smack and a cry of pain that followed after. 

Ever since securing the gun at the fight in the Eleventh, Hunter kept it under his belt. For the most part.

“Next time you call her a bitch, you don’t get to keep your teeth,” Hunter growled as he spat under his feet. “Now talk.”

Callie, even if it was for the shortest time, lit up with what seemed like pride. Daphne on the other hand felt revolted by the whole situation. They were trying to get any at all information about a hospital that Cody was kept in, along with (if they were lucky) Justin’s location. Daphne was determined to keep Justin’s secret, but not to this extent. 

It’s been almost a week since they’ve taken over the district, and things seemed to go relatively well. Some shopkeepers stayed, agreeing to provide for the Resistance, and since they knew a lot of suppliers from the Seventeenth, the food and water situation was good for now. Security, thanks to Tracy and her decently trained squad of kids that wielded the same power, was also taken care of; not to mention all the volunteers that watched the border day and night. Nearly all of the civilians were also still in the district (except those with the work permit or relatives up at Seventeenth), some even with their Stubs in. Callie, Hunter, and occasionally Daphne, were chosen as the leaders to come to for advice or a decision to make. With all that out of the way, they could finally start getting to Justin and Cody.

Or at least begin trying.

However, three officers that they managed to capture were stubborn, fearless, and didn’t seem to take any threats seriously. So, it was Callie who decided to take things up a notch, and Justin wasn’t there to stop her or come up with a better plan. Daphne still didn’t have enough authority over her, and Hunter seemed to be ready to follow his soulmate to hell and back, even if her ideas were nothing but violent. 

“I don’t know,” the cop finally gargled through the blood in his mouth, right after he stopped choking on it. “Taylor is missing, anyone at the station would tell you that. And the other kid…” he panted, and Daphne couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. “Prisoners are usually kept at the main hospital downtown, easier to reach them from the Trinity that way. That’d be my guess, but I really don’t know. It’s all classified…”

When Callie hissed something inaudible venomously and swished her hand in the air, Daphne saw an orange flame spark up. And then she just couldn’t take it anymore. 

She closed her eyes shut, concentrated on her inner power and slowly squeezed her fist in the air, letting the time slip, trickle through her fingers. The sensation was nothing like teleporting, way less confusing and, once you get a hand of it, even relaxing. Time seemed to freeze around for a moment, and Daphne could enjoy a temporary hold of it in a completely deafening silence. 

_“Where are they?”_

The sounds poured back in, and Daphne swiftly rose to her feet to be able to reach Hunter in time.

_“Fuck if I know, bitch!”_

“Hunter!” Daphne caught a sleeve of his jacket right before his body tensed and twitched forward, completely ready to pounce. “We’ve got to talk.”

_“Your little friends might as well be fucking dead!”_

“Can’t it wait, Daph?” Hunter skewed his eyes in Callie’s direction, seemingly still wanting to attack the cop for calling her names. 

“It already had,” Daphne replied pointedly, and he immediately understood her.

“Yes, you fucking heard me! Justin motherfucking Taylor should burn in hell! Do you know, how many boys from my squad had died in that fight?” 

Daphne, Hunter and Callie all exchanged a bunch of meaningful looks, understanding now that the officer just wanted to seem defiant. On the inside, he was clearly damaged, and still hadn’t gotten over the fight at the Eleventh. Upon hearing his last words, even Callie, who was the coldest out of them, just let out a short sigh and followed out along with Daphne and Hunter.

“You remember the day when the cops came down here?” Daphne began as they walked into the little room upstairs, with a clear view over the road that led to Seventeenth. “There was this tall guy next to the Chief.”

“The cocky one?” Hunter asked.

“The hot one?” Callie spoke over him.

“Both,” Daphne allowed herself a faint smile, slightly amused by the judgmental look Hunter tossed at Callie and her apologetic expression. “His name is Brian Kinney. We saw him in the news couple of times.”

“Yeah, I remember the dude,” Hunter frowned a little upon recalling. “The one who was supposed to capture Justin.”

“Okay,” Callie folded her arms across her chest, stopping by the window to eye the now absolutely empty road. “And that helps us how?”

“Well,” Daphne inhaled a lungful of stuffed air that suddenly seemed too warm for her. There it went. “The fact that he’s alive means that Justin is, too.”

Her words hung for several long, agonizing moments in a total silence of the small, dimly lit room. Daphne stood still, looking only at her feet, and was yet to figure out if she was more regretful for not saying it earlier or just saying it at all. Justin never wanted to share this particular secret with anyone, even Cody, who was the second closest person in the world to him after Daphne. Justin made it clear for her that since Brian had rejected him completely and they never had a chance to truly be soulmates, he would just bury the knowledge of Brian even being his soulmate in the first place.

Bury it deep between Daphne, him, and no one else. But now, as she saw the officers suffering for nothing and thought about the danger Justin himself was in, Daphne just couldn’t stay silent any longer.

“You are not saying what I think you’re saying?” Hunter finally said, perplexed. “The guy is his…”

“Yeah,” Daphne confirmed simply.

“This is _so fucked,”_ Hunter finally sighed. “The asshole never told me. I can call him an asshole now that I know he’s not dead, right?”

He looked across the room to meet Callie’s eyes in hopes to share the mutual shock. Callie, however, still hasn’t moved away from the window, held her arms crossed and didn’t even turn around.

“Maybe he has Justin?” she suddenly suggested, her back straight and tense; her quiet words clearly heard in newly formed silence. “Have they met before?”

As violent as Callie was, her mind was quick and sharp as a razor. Hunter seemed more of a good-hearted person in their partnership, but definitely less bright, Daphne thought to herself. She contemplated for a second or two if she should tell them absolutely everything and ended up deciding to do so. There was nothing left to lose anymore.

“When Justin cut his Stub out, he started seeing Brian in the visions,” Daphne said, for some reason feeling her legs weaken, and descended onto one of the hard watch post chairs. “He managed to find him, eventually. Long story short, he got rejected and decided to let the whole thing go. So, yes, they did meet, but that was years ago.”

“That would explain why Justin was never captured,” Callie muttered under her breath, and only then did Daphne understand how simple it really was. Brian did save Justin, Callie had to be right. “He just… kidnapped him to save himself.”

“He could still have him,” Hunter persisted as Callie finally turned her face to them. “That could be our chance, Daph. Think about it, all we have to do is track him down.”

“Uh-uh,” Callie drawled sardonically. “Merely tracking down a Dome cop that, mind you, lives and works _under the Dome._ Practically nothing, am I right?” 

She was right. Daphne thought about the impossible security on the boarder surrounding the Dome and all the alarms that the tortured cop was screaming about. Even though Hunter managed to sneak past it once, they couldn’t _all_ teleport and he couldn’t do it alone either. If they decide to go with it, they would have to think long and hard about just how in the world were they going to make it work.

“It’s _a plan._ Ever heard of one?” Hunter shrugged and put up his hands in a ‘what can I do?’ fashion. A moment later, he added smugly: “Besides, I got under there once.”

Neither Daphne, nor Callie had the time to come up with an answer. First, there were loud footsteps stomping up the stairs, and not a second after panting, disheveled Tracy ran into the room, hand on her heaving chest.

“It’s… it’s Ted,” she managed to wheeze. “He didn’t ask anyone for help, just cut and… he’s at the eastern watch post. Please, just hurry.”

Daphne instantly knew what had happened, remembering all too well the way Cody tore out his Stub. Hunter seemed to pick up on it too, throwing a horrified glance at her.

Ted Schmidt was a quiet, middle-aged Eleventh’s civilian with a self-deprecating kind of humor which Daphne appreciated more than she cared to admit. He still wore his Stub (up until now, apparently), and that was fine with her, even though he usually got some glares from younger people of the Resistance for “being a coward”. He would sometimes come over to watch posts and bring coffee or just make small talk, although Daphne never really understood why would he be interested in her or any of the youth and their company.

“Sorry, Cal,” Hunter muttered as he approached Daphne and grabbed her by the hand. “Daph can fix shit.”

“Go already!” was the last thing Daphne heard Callie yell before she was dragged into the noiseless, airless darkness.

They emerged out of thin air and Daphne felt like she had been pushed out of a bullet train for the initial two seconds. After she managed to adjust to solid ground beneath her feet, she could finally see Ted sprawled on the floor with Shanda and Darren kneeling above him, their clothes already drenched by a scarily huge amount of blood.

“Finally!” Shanda screamed at them. “Tracy took forever!”

“Why haven’t you just _called?”_ Hunter puzzled reasonably, kneeling next to them. “That would take, like, a second!”

“I have no idea, but neither of our phones are working,” Darren blubbered as he pushed his hands against Ted’s ruby-red neck.

“All the tech at the watch post went dead,” Shanda confirmed. “As soon as Ted did… well, this.”

That was strange, but no time was left to dwell on it now. Without saying anything at all, Daphne stretched her hand out and reached for the shimmering liquid essence everyone usually just called “time”.

By the time she was done, Darren and Shanda disappeared. Daphne figured, they only ran to Ted after the damage was already done and weren’t actually there to watch it happen. Ted himself, however, was still right before her, now seeming confused plenty with her and Hunter who, for him, just simply appeared out of nowhere.

“Can never get used to that,” he said with a slight giggle and Daphne noticed a tiny laser blade in his hands. He probably assumed they just teleported here. “Did you guys want something?”

Now, when Ted’s life was saved, Daphne briefly asked herself if the power-cut at the watch post was caused by him. Did it have anything at all to do with his power?

“Nothing special,” Daphne said gently, trying to soften the effect from their sudden appearance. She approached the man and sat in the chair next to him, reaching for the laser blade and carefully pulling it out of his unresisting grip. “Just to help you with this.”

**District 29, 2270.**

Chris Hobbs strode out of the elevator followed closely by Melanie mincing behind his shoulder, and a bunch of menacing goons. The bodyguards were led by a beefy, tall guy named Drew Boyd, who Melanie had a brief chance to be acquainted with and didn’t like it one bit. As they crossed the corridor towards Craig Taylor’s suite – shoes stomping, Melanie’s heels clip-clopping – a thin woman in a pencil-skirt rushed ahead from behind her desk to greet them. 

“Mr. Hobbs!” she exclaimed with a poorly hidden scared tremble in her tone. “Have you scheduled a meeting?”

“Afraid not,” Chris didn’t give her as much as a quick look. “Don’t think it’s required, either.”

“It’s _Mayor_ Hobbs, honey,” Drew added, shoving the startled woman aside.

Melanie gave her a brief sympathetic look, and that was all she could settle for at the moment. Their whole procession kept walking confidently through the dimly lit suite halls until they finally reached the double doors that led to Craig’s office. The secretary didn’t seem to follow them, probably way too intimidated by Drew.

“Mr. Taylor, you’ve got something of mine,” Chris announced upon his entrance to the office. “And I’d very much like to collect.”

“Chris? Something of… yours?” Craig Taylor who happened to be sitting behind his working desk, rose to his feet, looking startled. “What’s this all about?”

“Need your hearing checked, Mr. Taylor?” Hobbs replied in a snarl. “Something, actually, more like _someone_ of mine. Since I now own this city, evidently, everything in it is mine. Including your precious little daughter.”

Melanie kept silent, looking at Craig Taylor’s face. He recognized her, she knew he did: they’ve seen each other a few times before at his and Hobbs Senior’s mutual deals and a couple of celebrations. But except for a brief shadow of that realization, Taylor’s expression seemed perplexed in a horrified kind of way, apparently, none of Chris’s words had registered in his head yet. 

“My precious little…” Craig muttered in an undertone, and now Melanie saw clear repugnance written all over his face, even if just for a mere second.

_“Ugh._ Not in that sense,” Chris snorted in disgust as he immediately picked up on Taylor’s reaction as well and was quick to explain himself. “Tell me, Craig, did you really think it was wise to leave me in the dark about her?”

The only thing Melanie knew about this whole meeting was that it appeared to be important for Chris, at least that was what he had told her. She had no idea they were visiting Craig Taylor and kidnapping his daughter openly, like it was Chris’s right.

Apparently though, now it was. Melanie knew that if she were to object to anything, she will most likely get killed right here, so it was wise to keep it low for now, at least until she understands what is the whole situation about.

“I didn’t anticipate that anyone would care enough to find out,” Craig finally admitted, now almost seeming calm. He walked from behind his table and stepped towards the window. “What do you _really_ want, Chris?”

“Craig, you wound me,” a light laugh, almost pleasant to hear (if it wasn’t coming from someone like Chris) escaped Hobbs’s mouth. “It’s my city, of course I care. More than enough.”

He ignored Taylor’s question, distracted with the sound of hurried footsteps outside the door, so close they could be already heard in the office, but still muffled by the carpets. Not long after, the doors slid open, letting a thin teenage girl inside. 

This was when Melanie got scared. The girl looked fifteen at best, what was it that Chris had planned for her? 

“Dad!” the girl was about to rush to her father’s side, yet a sharp warning look that Chris gave to Drew Boyd eventually resulted in the bodyguard swiftly scooping her little body up off the floor before she could do anything. “Let me go! You said you’d help Justin!”

She kicked around, but had no chance. As soon as Craig took a few hasty steps forward in an attempt to help her, he was met by a barrel of a gun staring in his face, effectively making him freeze. One of Chris’s nameless goons held him at gunpoint while Chris himself successfully approached Drew and the girl that still twirled about in his grip.

“And I intend on doing just that, Molly,” Chris replied as the girl slowly calmed down, probably still interested in what he had to say. “You said yourself I’m a man of my word. See, this good-for-nothing Kinney guy that the police assigned still hasn’t succeeded, as I hoped, so…”

“Brian isn’t good-for-nothing! He’ll protect Justin from you!” Molly screamed, her face going bright red now, but realized her mistake way too quickly, right when Chris lit up with excitement at the sudden revelation. 

“Brian, huh? _Interesting,”_ he considered the information for a brief moment, but soon after his look turned dismissive. “Well, you’ll tell me all about it later, would you? Drew, make sure Miss Taylor here is accompanied safely to the car. I’ll be a moment.”

Molly was now completely quiet as Drew carried her with no effort out of the room. Melanie thought she heard the girl mutter something about how she is able to walk on her own, but Drew either didn’t hear or didn’t care. 

“She’s just a girl, Chris,” Melanie finally interjected causing Hobbs to look at her over his shoulder, irritated. “Is that really necessary?” 

“A girl with very special powers, _Melanie,”_ Chris kept his cool, although Melanie almost waited for him to threaten her, too. “Ones I intend to make very good use of. Now, Craig…”

Craig Taylor shivered as his name was spoken, not daring to say a word. He was still facing a gun, partially because Chris had seemingly forgotten to order otherwise. The room was getting really dark now, and Hobbs, very clearly amused by the situation, clapped his hands to turn on the lights. 

“Chris, she’s my daughter,” Craig said in a broken voice. “If you are taking her, let me at least come with.”

“I have no use in you coming with me,” was the immediate cold reply. “Lucky for you, no use in killing you, either. So, as I was initially going to say,” Chris stepped towards Craig’s table to unceremoniously pick up his half-finished whiskey shot and made a sip. “All I need for you is to lay low and not make a fuss out of this. If you behave, we might even arrange family visits or something.”

A glimmer of hope at that prospect slid for a second across Craig’s face and that was enough for him not to object any longer. He took what he could get, Melanie thought, just as she did. 

Later, standing in the elevator on their way back to the car, Melanie couldn’t help but speak at least a little bit of her mind.

“I see no reason for me being there,” she told Chris, noticing a now familiar smirk settling in the corner of his mouth. 

“The reason, Melanie, is quite simple,” Hobbs replied, callous as ever, and suddenly looked right into her eyes through the elevator mirror. “I wanted you to see exactly what I’m willing to do now when I’ve got both the means and _the rights.”_

She held his stare. 


	15. Kiss The Joy As It Flies

**District 17, 2270.**

Hunter liked to sneak away. It made him feel powerful, in control, and most of all it made him feel free. Free from all the responsibility at the Eleventh, free from everybody’s expectations, just free in general, able to go wherever he pleased. The alarms were usually way too slow to detect the exact moment when he teleported, so his power was also just perfect for that sort of thing.

Sometimes he would take Callie with him, they would steal some food and have a date night under the stars somewhere on the boarder of the Seventeenth. But some nights, like tonight, he just wanted to be alone and roam the neon drenched streets for as long as he possibly could, until his legs grow tired or he catches someone look at him suspiciously. 

Callie knew he was sneaking out, and she also knew he just needed some alone time. Daphne on the other hand would freak out if she were to know about this, so Hunter always waited for her to fall asleep first. Daphne was always like a big sister to him and more of a mother figure anybody in the world ever was, so Hunter didn’t want to add to her plate by making her even more worried that she already has been.

Hunter knew it was dangerous, and cops were alert as ever now, but he always had enough time to jump. Thanks to Justin and all of the training the four of them did, he could handle his power quite well. Some kids at the Eleventh that cut their Stubs just recently usually used to freak the hell out and couldn’t get anything done.

Well, Hunter could. 

As he was walking down the street at the center of the Seventeenth, his hood pulled on, hands buried deep in his pockets, thoughts were swarming inside his head. Justin was alive, Justin had a soulmate, Cody was at the hospital, and nobody had any idea about anything. And yet, here he was, Hunter, the only one who had actually managed to sneak past the Dome border. Why the hell wasn’t he doing anything then? Why was he letting them both down?

Hunter reached the main area of the Seventeenth people usually referred to as the Hub. Unlike Bazaar or the Trinity, this place wasn’t on the surface level. It looked somewhat like a deep round pit with giant circular staircases twirling inside, leading to at least a few dozen cafes and various shops. On the very bottom was the train station. In the deep blue midnight darkness, the whole thing shone and glistened, and usually Hunter just couldn’t walk by. He loved wondering around the Hub unnoticed.

Today things were different though. What attracted Hunter’s attention were not the lights, but the giant screen set up on a tall pipe, towering above the Hub. It looked exactly like the one at the Eleventh which was now broken. It also seemed to be broadcasting Chris Hobbs’s live public speech right this second.

“As your new Mayor I would like to sincerely thank you all,” the sly bastard said from the screen, and Hunter snorted in disgust. “For putting your trust in me. To express my gratitude, I will put the same trust in you and announce something very important.”

Little by little, passersby started forming a small crowd under the screen, eager to listen as to what the Mayor had to say. Hunter, pulling his hood even lower on his forehead, hurried to join them.

“The police are working on investigating Jim Stockwell’s death, and the case is under my personal control,” Hobbs continued, clutching his fingers firmly on the tribune. “I promise you that. However, I assume you all are aware of the state that the Eleventh is in right now. I have reasons to believe strongly that those who are behind this rebellion are also behind the attack on the Mayor.”

“Bullshit,” Hunter said in a whispered undertone, but noticed other people nodding, a woman nearest to him even gasping in surprise.

“Hobbs Enterprises are doing everything in its power to protect the other districts,” the new Mayor’s voice rose, and the speakers seemed even louder than they sounded before. “I hope the next news are going to be of any consolation for you. We’re happy to announce that the remote device for power control is nearly ready to be manufactured, we anticipate it to be out on the market within the next week. I’m proud to present the Curb.” 

As he clapped his hands, several holo-billboards lit up behind his shoulder, revealing a spinning 3D model of a tiny rectangle shaped device with a round button in the middle. Hunter frowned, thinking about how will this change affect the Eleventh. They barely got over Stubs, and now there were… _Curbs._ In the hands of some rich entitled Dome motherfucker, a remote like this would practically turn any repdigit into a slave. 

“As soon as the final preparations are done, the rebellion will be over,” Hobbs finally announced. “Zion is going to be as safe as ever, I promise you that on my father’s memory. As a Mayor, I will not let you down.”

Hunter growled under his breath as the speech ended, but suddenly was distracted by voices on the back of the crowd. He turned around and noticed a slight stir, seemingly caused by a short figure in the black hood, standing at least a couple feet away from the crowd. 

“What’s your problem?” a man yelled at the stranger and reached his hand towards them. “Hey, I’m talking to you!”

An alarm went off somewhere in the distance. The mysterious figure flung their head away from the man and their hood came off as they did so. Hunter froze dead on his tracks, because there was no way he wouldn’t recognize those unmistakably golden, bright blond locks break lose from under the hood. 

“That’s Justin Taylor!” someone screamed.

“Call the police!”

And then Justin, without as much as a second look over the crowd, broke into a run and bolted away from the Hub. Several other people, as well as Hunter, immediately followed after him.

Hunter didn’t have time to be surprised or think much about how did Justin end up here. It was way too crowded to jump right to Justin, and jumping far in front of him may result in Hunter completely losing him out of sight.

As Hunter tried to keep his breath even and run as fast as he could, he hoped to everything holy on earth that he would get to Justin first.

**District 17, 2270.**

Justin sat for a while, just enjoying Brian sleeping on his lap. The man’s breath was soft and calm, and Justin made sure that no bad dreams were bothering him, at least for tonight.

An idea to try and enter Brian’s mind while he was asleep just occurred to Justin naturally, so he had to try. It wasn’t that hard. Justin explored the glimpses of memories and fantasies (he saw himself a couple of times, which immediately made him self-conscious) and felt a few dimmed faded shadows of emotions, which probably were this way because Brian was asleep. 

Brian’s father did abuse him. And his mother did nothing to protect him, so Brian was forced to find a way to protect himself. To reclaim the power. Which eventually, he did. Something was telling Justin that Brian hasn’t contacted anyone in his family ever again since moving out. 

Justin ran his fingers through Brian’s hair gently, before finally deciding to stretch his legs that were at this point irreversibly getting numb. He took a second to look into his soulmate’s relaxed, calm, beautiful face, to drink the sight of it in, to remember. Because, as soon as he wakes, Brian will just become his usual self, forcefully uncaring, radiating studied coldness. Now though, he seemed so peaceful. 

Justin kept the connection while carefully pulling Brian’s head off of his lap and on to the pillows. He only slid out of his mind once fully standing on both feet in the middle of the dark silent room. Justin wasn’t sure what was it exactly that he could do besides going to sleep, so he walked a little to get rid of the numbness. 

And then he noticed it. No familiar buzz. No glow of the security locks on the door. 

It was unbelievable to Justin, but Brian must have, in fact, forgotten to lock the apartment door after he got back home. Justin turned to his soulmate for a quick check, and the older man appeared to be deep asleep still. Then Justin crossed the empty space of the corridor in several quiet, swift steps. He tapped on the door.

And it slid open for him.

The rest was a blur. Justin managed to find Ben’s hoodie that he was wearing back when he first got here, pulled it on in half a second and was ready to go. It was now or never. 

He couldn’t say he loved Brian just yet. He was definitely ready to love him, but it didn’t seem to be mutual, so Justin knew where his place was and that, at least for now, wasn’t with Brian. With Hobbs becoming the Mayor, Cody captured and Molly in danger, he had to be where he was the strongest, to make up a plan of what to do next.

Among his family at the Eleventh. 

“Sorry,” Justin whispered as he leaned in to plant a careful, soft kiss on Brian’s lower lip. Quickly, he added: “Later.”

And then, as he secured his way too recognizable hair under the thick cotton fabric of his black hood, Justin crossed the doorway. He hoped it wasn’t a farewell and he and Brian will meet again eventually, but felt torn nonetheless. Forcing himself to discard the feeling, he focused only on the most important issue for now, which was getting to the Eleventh border safely.

To think of it, he wasn’t that far. At least, he wasn’t under the Dome, that would for sure complicate things. He just had to walk through the center unnoticed and then pass the security police that were guarding the Eleventh. And once he was at the border, all he would need to do is pull his hood off to be let in. Justin was sure his people will immediately recognize him if that were to happen.

He was loping on the wet pavement through the rainy street, not even looking around, which was probably even more suspicious, but he couldn’t help it. Fresh air felt cool against his heated skin, and it was nice to breath in a lungful or two. It smelled sweet and dusty, like the nearby pastry takeout and the glistening asphalt beneath. 

When Justin finally reached the Hub that Brian lived not that far from, Chris Hobbs’s voice carrying over the area had greeted him.

_“… those who are behind this rebellion are also behind the attack on the Mayor.”_

Justin had to lift his head up this time so he could see the tall screen set up right in the middle of the Hub, with the freshly elected Mayor’s face on it. Distracted from the thoughts about the danger he was in, Justin stepped closer. It was no surprise that Hobbs would say something of that kind, but Justin still scoffed in disbelief as he approached the crowd that was listening to the speech. 

With his hood on, he decided, he was just as safe in a public place as anywhere.

As he gradually grew more and more annoyed by Hobbs’s words, a familiar nudging in his head started to become apparent. Justin was not new to this, he knew well enough how to handle his power, so he shoved the feeling away forcefully and stepped further from the crowd. A couple of bulky, seemingly drunk men approached to stand beside him, cussing the “damned repdigits”, so it was probably a good time to go. 

The nudging became even stronger. The back of Justin’s head seemed to burn, not just softly tingle as it usually did. This was definitely strange and unfamiliar and something he wasn’t ready to learn how to handle now, in a crowd of people. Weakened by the feeling, he stepped backwards without much consideration, and ended up stumbling on one of the drunken men.

That distracted Justin enough for a vision to finally slide in, taking his mind away from the rainy dark street and back into Brian’s apartment.

_Flash. His whole body shivers as he opens his eyes with a jolt of immediate realization. Something is wrong. Swift, lean, he leaps like a panther, throwing open each door. Empty, empty, empty. Gone._

_“… your problem?”_ Justin only had enough time to notice a large hand reaching for his shoulder before he heard an annoying, sharp sound of a power alarm which he undoubtedly just triggered. _“Hey, I’m talking to you!”_

Justin’s mind was leaping a million mile per second. He just had a vision in the middle of the Seventeenth, Brian already knew he was gone, and there was a drunken man that apparently had a problem with Justin stumbling upon him. The situation was escalating with a pace Justin definitely had not anticipated. There had to be something he could do to get out of it.

His reaction was fast enough to instinctively jerk away from the hand, but that did him no good, since his hood came off anyway. Right at the moment when his blond hair lit up under the district lights, a few gasps of recognition followed from the crowd.

_“That’s Justin Taylor!”_

_“Call the police!”_

And then he had no other choice than to run. 

He was never a good runner, nor was he athletically talented, but life at the Eleventh does teach one a few things. Random passersby that stood on his way still didn’t seem to realize what was happening, so he just pushed through as his eyes were hopelessly darting around in search of some alleyway or at least a less busy street. Or some dark corner to hide in and wait the fuss out. For a second Justin even considered running back to Brian’s, but that was surely his very last option.

He was still hoping to get out of this, although at this point there seemed to be lesser and lesser ways.

After a couple of minutes Justin’s lungs were stinging and his throat was sore. His legs, heavy and limp, had to be forced one in front of the other, as he continued running ahead. Neon lights and signs flashing by, heavy footsteps stomping behind him, people shoving him and shoved by him gasping, cars honking and sirens wailing after him, Justin kept at it, determined, without slowing down even for a second.

It seemed like at least an eternity had passed when Justin finally managed to pull his hood back on and decided to risk it. He ran into a crowded, busy street instead of leaping for the dark narrow alleyway and tried his best to seem nonchalant, mixing in with people. He heard a few yelps and gasps as his chasers pushed through behind him, but soon the maneuver seemed to successfully throw them off. Justin walked a little more, before he finally found a gap in between two stores and stumbled in to catch his breath.

He slid down the wall and on to the ground, his chest heaving. Dizzy and weak from all the running, he was now thinking about the whole district swarmed with cops that were surely alerted about him, searching for him. The gap he was in appeared to be discreet enough, but he still couldn’t sit here for much longer.  


Justin closed his eyes shut, leaning his head against the wall. He had to think.

Before he could even concentrate, there were footsteps. These were not heavy, not stomping, not even loud at all, but swift and almost delicate. They seemed like footsteps of someone who undergone a lot of training in appearing stealthy and were only heard by Justin because of his extreme alertness at this very moment.

“Taylor,” Brian stated as he stepped closer and eventually leaned his shoulder on the wall behind him, his tall slim figure almost seeming relaxed. “Just what the fuck am I to do with you?”

Justin glanced up at him, so many feelings swirling inside his chest, so many words wanting to escape his mouth. He was overwhelmed to see his soulmate, the one person in the whole district that could protect him. It didn’t matter now that Justin still needed to escape, since there was no way for escaping anymore. He wanted to apologize for even trying to deceive Brian and making a run for it in the first place, but a heavy lump in his throat just couldn’t be swallowed for some reason. 

“With you for a soulmate I’m a dead man walking,” Brian summarized casually, pulling out his electronic cigarette from the back pocket of his skinny jeans. After a full half a minute of yet more silence, Brian took a drag and cocked his eyebrow at Justin: “Cat got your tongue?”

“You’re…you’re not mad?” Justin cleared his throat vigorously. That was the first thing he found himself say. The second was: “How did you find me?” 

“Same way I did down at the Eleventh,” Brian answered, exhaling a cloud of thick gray smoke. “It’s… when you’re in danger, something… leads me to you.” 

That made sense. Yet Brian still winced slightly, probably finding these words way too sappy to say. There was still so much they haven’t discovered about the connection, and Brian rejecting and denying it for so long really wasn’t helping.

“I’m also past the point of being mad,” Brian finally added with a tiny scoff. “Besides, I’d do the same in your shoes. You’re coming back with me anyway, though.”

“Okay,” Justin complied immediately, not seeing any other options. He eyed Brian’s nonchalant posture and puzzled: “Aren’t we going?” 

“No. You settled in here quite nicely,” Brian drawled sardonically and turned away from him. “If we’re to leave now, I’m going to have to explain to every single cop we encounter on the way out why I’m quitting the search. We’ll wait it out instead.”

They let the silence settle for several moments. Brian was smoking quietly while Justin couldn’t really put any of his thoughts in a correct order.

“You’re risking your job,” Justin frowned as he finally got up and stepped towards Brian, now just standing in front of him with his arms crossed on his chest, eyeing his feet. He was endangering both of them, they were here because of him.

“Try my life,” Brian smirked at him bitterly. “Believe it or not, Justin, death doesn’t even scare me. It annoys me. Especially death for something as stupid as Chris Hobbs’s ambition.”

“Death _annoys_ you?” Justin couldn’t help but grin a little. It was such a Brian thing to say, borderline sociopathic and absolutely fearless. 

“Well, or the prospect of it,” Brian shrugged. “What happened at the Hub, anyway?”

“My hood came off,” Justin answered reluctantly and darted his eyes aside before letting out a sigh and voicing what was on his mind long ago, ever since the fight at the Eleventh: “I should really get a buzzcut or something.”

Brian shoved his cigarette back into his pocket and pushed off of the wall. He stepped closer, looking down at Justin, his large, long-lashed hazel eyes moving quickly over Justin’s face. 

“Don’t,” Brian said quietly as he ran his warm fingers down Justin’s cheek to eventually bury them into his longish silky hair. “I like it this way.”

It was the very first touch Brian himself initiated ever since their night together. It burned Justin’s face and rushed over his whole body with a wave of shimmering, tingling heat. Justin wanted to say something witty, but nothing came, so he just tip-toed and had barely enough time to kiss Brian softly on the lips before he heard a subtle, yet unforgettable _swish_ sound. 

_“Motherfucker,”_ was the very first thing Hunter wheezed, addressing no one in particular. “Hey, everyone.”

His hair seemed to grow longer since the last time Justin had seen him. He also somehow managed to look even scrawnier than before, but there was something new in him Justin couldn’t quite point out. He was… collected. Confident. Grown up? And appeared to handle travelling on his own pretty well, too.

And boy, was Justin happy to see him. Even though he had absolutely no clue as to how his friend ended up here of all places, now of all times.

“Hunter!” he yelled as they rushed towards each other to collide in a giant bear hug. Justin didn’t even care that Brian was still there. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Good to see you too, jerk,” was the reply as Hunter quickly broke away from Justin’s embrace. “Jumped all over the district to find your ass. We’ve gotta go, like, now. Explanations later.”

His eyes finally landed on Brian, and Justin’s followed too, as all three of them heard a police siren enclosing from the distance. Brian still didn’t say a single word when Justin stepped towards him and put his palms on his soulmate’s leather-clad shoulders.

“Brian, I…” the words were lost yet again as Justin looked into Brian’s beautiful serious face. 

Brian stayed silent for another second or two, just letting Justin hold his shoulders, and then something sparked at the very bottom of his eyes, echoing in Justin’s chest as it did. 

“Just try not to get us killed, alright?” Brian told him and raised his eyebrows slightly as if he was expecting a promise in return.

Justin couldn’t believe it. Was Brian really letting him go, trusting him with both of their lives just like that? He stood there, just staring at Brian for what seemed like forever, as if looking for more confirmation, before he heard Hunter rush him:

“Dude, I get it, but hurry the hell up,” he was already standing behind Justin’s shoulder, ready to tug on his sleeve if needed.

“I promise,” Justin blurted, discarding all the thoughts he had for now. He cupped his soulmate’s face with his hands and connected their lips in a fast yet wet and still passionate kiss. “Thank you.”

“Get the fuck out,” Brian replied in a gentle whisper, his eyes smiling.

With that, Justin flashed him a grateful, wide grin and stepped back to Hunter. His eyes were still focused on his soulmate until the very moment he was caught in a tight grip and shoved into the pitch-black airless darkness that swallowed everything: Brian’s face, glints of rain and neon on Brian’s leather jacket and the wall behind Brian’s back.


	16. Holding Out

**District 29, Crescent, 2270.**

“I see you have settled in,” Chris Hobbs stated, eyes running quickly over the room he had assigned to be Mollie’s earlier. “Now, it is rude not to welcome your guests, Miss Taylor.”

“Get out,” the girl spat immediately from somewhere Chris couldn’t see her. “I won’t tell you anything.”

He stepped deeper into the room: dimly lit, but visibly spacious, one of the many identical ones in his mansion under the very edge of the Dome. He never did like the Trinity square, it was prestigious, but way too noisy for his liking. And he wasn’t alone in his preferences, since the large Crescent village was built long, long before Chris had decided that he doesn’t want to live in Veracity. It got its name for the certain way the houses in it stood: they were built as a half-circle, hugged and protected by the edge of the Dome. Usually, only someone like Chris could really afford to live here. It was either Crescent or the Trinity for someone as rich and influential.

“So, Brian, huh?” Chris sank into one of the deep chairs in the corner of the room, trying to bait Molly into the conversation. “How do you know him, Molly? Did you see him in your visions?”

He heard a couple of sniffs and some rustle. “So what if I did?” the girl muttered.

“What’s he like?” Chris probed further, settling comfortably with one leg on top of the other. “You mentioned he is capable.”

“I won’t tell you anything, Chris,” was the reply and Molly stayed true to her word. That was the very last thing she told Chris for the evening, because as soon as he opened his mouth for more questions, his phone lit up with a message from Drew.

 _‘The Bell kid woke up’_ it said and a content smirk settled on Chris’s lips immediately. This could be useful, as long as he gets to the kid first. Cody Bell, judging by the tape Chris saw at least a dozen times, probably even more than the police, was easily pissed off and knew a lot about Justin Taylor, potentially down to his location. 

Quickly ordering as many background files on Kinney as possible to be transferred to his tablet, Chris rose back up from the chair and decided that Molly needed a break for now. After all, he can always torture her if nothing else works out.

For now, he had three potential links to Taylor boy: sobbing Molly, that he just left behind the soundly closed wooden door; Cody Bell, that couldn’t go anywhere even if he wanted to, since he was still bedbound; and, apparently (at least according to Molly) Brian Kinney. That was a lot to deal with, and questioning distressed teenagers didn’t seem like the first on the list of Chris’s proprieties. 

Maybe he could use Cody. Maybe, eventually, when the Curb is not only ready to shut the powers down, but enhance them too, Cody would be a force to entice fear. Not that he already wasn’t, but, as Chris’s father used to say, anything can be improved.

Chris read in the car, nearly the whole way to the hospital. Files on Kinney seemed to be squeaky, annoyingly clean. Brian came from a middle-class nuclear family, probably some neat area of the Seventeenth, got into police internship right after his college exams (which he passed with flying colors), and ever since then honestly earned his way up the ranks. His psychological profile was a little bit more interesting, and Chris actually found himself smirking contently at the qualities listed. Particularly at “often insubordinate, defiant, has a record of documented cases of violence against suspects”. This could be useful.

Although, Chris still didn’t know just what exactly it was that linked Taylor and Kinney. But planned to find out.

The evening darkness was already descending upon the district when Chris stepped out of the car and on the main hospital’s parking lot. He didn’t want to bring a lot of people along for this particular meeting, so he only took Drew Boyd. As they were crossing the distance between the car and the main entrance, no words were spoken. Drew was never a talkative type.

“Mayor Hobbs!” a young nurse on duty exclaimed as the doors slid open and Chris entered the well-lit lobby area. “Would you like me to call the head doctor?”

“No need,” he answered softly, adding ‘for now, anyway’ in his mind, but not actually saying it. “We’re here to see Mr. Bell, if you’d just be kind enough to show us the way.”

“Oh,” the girl must not have been older than twenty. Her mouth took a perfect oval shape as she seized her movements to think deeply for a second. “The police have been informed about him already, they’re on their way and ordered not to allow anyone in.”

Chris smothered an initial pang of irritation and anger, leaning closer over the reception counter instead. 

“Let me make this clear, miss…” his eyes trailed to the holo-badge on her crispy white uniform jacket. “… miss Lucy. If I would have wanted to come in without anyone’s authority, I would have already been inside,” he straightened his back and smiled an almost gentle smile at her. “I’m just being polite.”

He was mostly bluffing, but the girl didn't need to know that.

“I’m so very sorry, Mayor Hobbs, but…”

She gasped and looked past his shoulder as the doors slid apart once again, allowing more people into the lobby. Hobbs turned around to see the three of them for himself: the short black-haired officer Chris didn’t remember the name of, Chief Horvath whom Chris was already familiar with, and Brian Kinney. He looked unnaturally tall in a company of his much shorter colleagues, and almost out of place in his raindrop-covered leather jacket. They did meet before, but very briefly, and back then Chris had no interest in neither Kinney, nor his partner on the case.

“Maybe you can discuss it with the Chief,” the girl suggested quickly as she all but jumped from behind the counter to greet the officers. 

Chris pursed his lips. He was still going to get Taylor, one way or another, but for now the only question was how fast.

**District 29, Crescent, 2270.**

“Hey,” Molly heard a soft, tentative whisper that clearly didn’t sound anything like Chris. “Do you like cupcakes?” 

She was sitting here for what seemed like hours at this point. She always thought that her father was holding her hostage and not allowing her to have enough fun, but now the thought of coming home back to him made her cry. It was so stupid of her to ever, ever trust Chris with anything in the first place, and it was even more stupid to tell him about Brian after she already knew Hobbs betrayed her.

Molly was trying to convince herself that she was scared and distressed and blurted it out without thinking, but that didn’t help much. 

She didn’t use the lights, so the room was very dark. Chris’s mansion at Crescent was even more luxurious than Taylor’s suite, one could actually see the Trinity from far away, shining and glistening with all it’s evening glory. Molly’s eyes landed on Veracity and she sniffed, and then sobbed, and then finally cried softly, right until the moment she remembered she was just offered cupcakes.

Of course, she was hungry. She actually believed that Chris wouldn’t have deliberately starved her, but he did seem to be one of these people who usually forgot to eat when they were busy.

“These are cherry ones,” the whisper belonged to a woman, Molly identified as she finally crawled out of her sanctuary: a dark corner behind the large bed. “And I don’t mean the flavor, I mean actual cherry.”

Molly smiled slightly at the comment, these days only rich people could afford something organic, while the families in poorer districts had mostly artificial things to eat. She knew this from her homeschooling program, since she has never been anywhere outside of the Dome.

When Molly settled herself on the soft carpet, legs crossed, she looked up to see the same brunette woman that was with Chris the evening when Molly was kidnapped. The woman’s face was kind and she had a caring look in her deep brown eyes, but the thought about her being in on Chris’s plans made Molly shake her head ‘no’ for cupcakes and attempt to crawl back to her corner.

“Molly, wait,” the woman pleaded, putting a tray she was carrying quickly on the nightstand. “I swear I mean no harm.”

“Chris said that too,” Molly shot back bitterly. “And you were with him the night he took me away.”

“Not by my own will,” was the reply, and Molly hesitated. “My name is Melanie.”

She was very, very hungry, Molly thought, and eventually decided that she didn’t really have to tell the Melanie woman anything, even in case she did accept the cupcakes. They exchanged a couple of glances, and Melanie seemed to understand Molly with no words, because she smiled, picked up a tray she put away earlier, settled it on the carpet between them and even sat face to face with Molly with a reassuring smile.

“Have one,” she pushed the tray gently towards Molly. “They’re good.”

Good they were. The dough melted in Molly’s mouth while the sweet (and a little sour) cherry was, just as Melanie promised, as real as it could be. Melanie watched Molly eat with a strange, hopeful expression, almost as she was apologizing for something. The feeling was not unfamiliar to Molly, since she herself has done a lot of things that she now regretted.

Molly brushed her fingertips against the Stub on her neck. She was not going to remove it any time soon, since the power only seemed to cause her trouble. She wanted to see Justin, wanted to know what was going on with Brian, but still decided against it. In her position now, it was better that she doesn’t know anything at all. This way Chris would have nothing to get out of her, even if it comes to some extreme ways of getting her to talk.

“So, are you a hostage or something?” Molly mumbled though a cupcake in her mouth, and Melanie seemed surprised for a second. It appeared like she didn’t even think that Molly would speak to her at all.

“Depends on how you look at it,” she replied, a curt smile in the corners of her lips. “I can still go home freely when I want to, but have to work for Chris.”

Molly thought for a second, chewing. She couldn’t guess what line of work would include being present at kidnappings. “What do you do for him?” 

“I’m his public representative,” Melanie explained reluctantly, as if she didn’t like to admit it (which she probably didn’t). “I write his speeches and make sure he doesn’t appear way too intimidating for the general public.”

“He is not just intimidating,” Molly said clearly, after swallowing her last bite. “He’s downright evil, Melanie.”

“I think I’ve learned that a little too late,” Melanie smiled wistfully. 

“Yeah,” Molly sighed in reply. “You and me both.”

**District 29, 2270.**

Brian didn’t tell Justin that Cody Bell had woken up. For the most part, he went with his usual reasoning: if the boy were to find out his friend was awake and the police was now on him, he’d more likely to come up with some risky idiotic plan on the spot and put their lives in danger.

Not that Brian himself wasn’t already bringing to life so many risky idiotic plans. One of which was letting Taylor go.

Brian didn’t know why he did it and didn’t want to think way too deep, looking for a reason or an explanation. Somehow in the midst of all this mess which Brian’s life has now become, Justin seemed like the only clarity he had. The irony of Justin also being the cause of the mess in question was not lost on Brian, either. 

“Let me get this straight,” Michael puzzled on their way to the hospital. “You let him go?” 

They were driving from the search with the excuse of questioning Cody, and Brian decided to let Michael know. After all, his friend was the only one to even be aware of Justin being with Brian in the first place, so it only seemed fair. 

“Yeah,” Brian answered quietly, eyes focused on the road. Driving always helped him clear his mind. “You know, Michael, sometimes I think we’re on the wrong side.”

And that was true. Maybe, if Justin wasn’t Brian’s soulmate, and they wouldn’t have spent all this time together, there would not have been a chance for Brian to ever change his mind. Maybe, he would just be content with the government not interfering with his own life and continued not to care. 

Yet, being with Justin, having a chance to look into his mind and see him struggle gave Brian a better idea of things. The store they ruined to annoy Chris Hobbs wasn’t just a stupid stunt, it was a statement that eventually led to a rebellion the city was now in, and, potentially, will end up being a revolution. People down at the Eleventh knew this, too, which was why they praised Justin and considered him their leader. 

The further Brian drove from the alley he and Justin separated, the faster he felt his longing enclose on him. 

“This is not about sides, Brian. It’s about staying alive!” Michael exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air hopelessly. “What the hell are you going to do when Hobbs gets to Eleventh with his fucking… Curb thing or whatever? Do you really think there is a slight chance that Taylor actually complies and lets our new Mayor control him and all his short-dozen friends and we will all live happily ever after?” 

“No. Not a chance,” Brian replied quietly, and had to smother a yet another strange pang of pride for Justin. There was no way Brian could imagine his soulmate ever submitting to someone like Hobbs, even if that meant dying. Thinking about it should have irritated or scared Brian, but for some reason he felt proud instead.

“Brian,” Michael’s voice faltered as he turned to his friend and looked at him intently. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“I think I know that by now,” Brian chuckled.

There wasn’t really anything else to say, so the rest of the road was spent in silence. The hospital stood pretty close to the Trinity, so architecture here was similar to not spoil the overall view. The building was way shorter than any of the towers, even Serenity, but still appeared tall on its own. 

“Damn shame we’ve lost Taylor,” Chief Horvath was already waiting for them on the parking lot. “He is probably at the Eleventh by now, bunkered up like there’s no tomorrow.”

“With Hobbs for a mayor, there is none for them,” Michael shrugged, causing Brian to throw him a dubious glance.

“They say the kid is still in intensive care,” Chief took lead, seemingly deciding to ignore Michael’s words. “He can talk, but doesn’t do much walking, that’s all I know so far.”

“Did they have him chipped again?” Brian queried, pacing along with Horvath. 

“Or did our gracious Mayor allow one of his experimental remotes?” Michael chimed in from behind. “Except that would probably mean that he knows whether or not Bell is awake.”

“About that,” Chief grunted as the three of them ascended the steps to the front entrance. “The doctors had him chipped right at the hospital as soon as he was captured. However, Hobbs still knows the kid is up.”

“Probably the guards leaked it,” Michael shrugged. “Or the nurses.”

Brian preferred to stay silent. They walked into the lobby, bright lights and white walls immediately blinding their eyes after the darkness outside. Sure enough, Hobbs was already there, seemingly interrogating one of the nurses on duty. The girl looked extremely relieved as the sight of the police, immediately jumping from her seat and striding away from Hobbs. 

“Chief Horvath!” she exclaimed. “I’ve been instructed to guide you to the patient as soon as you arrive. But…”

The newly elected Mayor along with one of his henchmen were already behind her shoulder. Chris Hobbs looked like someone who tried a lot to seem intimidating, but still needed goons like the man that was now standing by his side to reach the desired effect. Dressed in a thin, delicately knitted pullover and a pair of slacks, the mayor looked casual and not nearly as menacing as the his tall, leather-clad bodyguard.

“Good evening, officers, Chief,” Hobbs nodded alternately at each of them. “I suppose it wouldn’t be an issue if I get a chance to talk to Mr. Bell too?”

“Evening, Mayor,” Horvath replied slowly, and Brian wasn’t surprised to see him hesitate: Bell and all that concerned him was strictly police business, but on the other hand, Hobbs were the Mayor and had power over the Chief. “Actually…”

It only took half a second in Brian’s head for thoughts about Chris being involved in the ex-Mayor’s assassination to pop up. Everything in him wanted to at least hint at something, but he knew better than that, since he had absolutely no proof, not to mention he hasn't even figured out a clear sequence of events that led to Stockwell’s death. So, Brian went for the next best thing, which was being boldly hostile.

“It will,” Brian cut in simply, receiving a ‘just what the hell’ look from Michael on his right. “Bell is police business. If he would want to see you, you can schedule a meeting later.”

Hobbs bit the inside of his cheek. “Mr. Kinney,” he drawled. Brian was half expecting him to pretend he forgot his name, but that didn’t happen. “I would like to remind you that it was my equipment that got destroyed by Mr. Bell and his associates, so I’m the victim in this case. Not only that, I’m also your Mayor, so…”

“It’s Lieutenant. And unless you suddenly got recruited to the force, none of that gives you a pass,” Brian answered sternly. “Sorry, but we’ve wasted enough time here, Mayor.”

“Brian…” Michael whispered in disbelief as the young nurse glanced at Brian with clear admiration.

Something (and it wasn’t just his suspicions) in Chris Hobbs made Brian so irritated he couldn’t even analyze his own feelings anymore. Something on the bottom of these cold, muddy-gray eyes made Brian want to jump in his car, drive all the way to Eleventh, grab Justin into his arms and just hold him and never let go. Both to protect him and feel that blissful calmness his soulmate radiated each time they touched each other. 

It was becoming harder and harder to just blame all of these thoughts on the connection between them.

“Would you take it down a notch, Kinney?” Horvath barked and turned to Hobbs. He was hesitant once again. “I’m sorry, Mayor, but I’m afraid Lieutenant Kinney is right. I don’t condone the bluntness, however.” 

Chris’s goon flexed his jaw and bored his eyes into Brian, not saying a single word. Brian held the stare, his annoyance overpowering any possibility for him to get even slightly frightened. Chris himself stepped a little closer to Brian, lifting his head up to look straight in his eyes, sneering.

He didn’t even glance at Horvath. “It’s alright, Chief,” he said slowly in a mocking tone. “ _Lieutenant_ Kinney here is just protecting the protocol. The only question is,” Hobbs’s gave Brian a demonstrative once-over. “How could someone protecting the protocol so eagerly be the one to break it at the same time?”

Brian clenched his teeth. Before anyone could say anything at all, Chris motioned his head towards the door for his bodyguard and slowly headed out, keeping the last word for himself. 

“Till we meet again, officers,” he tossed over his shoulder.

They waited in silence. Brian’s head was completely empty until the very moment the hospital doors slid shut behind Chris and as they did, a wave of cold realization washed over his whole body. He might have even called it fear, but didn’t want to go that far. Chris definitely knew something about Justin and him, that much Brian could figure out. Yet (at least for now) Hobbs preferred to toy with him and leave the Chief wonder in suspicions, since the words were so vague there was no way to understand what exactly Chris was referring to. It might have been that time a couple of years ago when Brian broke some drug dealer’s jaw for being way too cocky during the interrogation. 

It could have been anything.

“Did he read through your files?” Michael asked and Brian felt warmth for his friend spark up inside his chest. He was obviously trying to push Horvath’s thought process into the right direction.

Or wrong, depends on how one looked at it.

“He might have,” Brian shrugged and caught a stern look from the Chief thrown his way. “Look, Chief…”

“I know the kid’s an annoying asshole, Kinney. You don’t have to explain,” Horvath interjected and raised his index finger to stress his next point: “But he’s now your Mayor. And if you carry on like that, I might not be able to protect you.” 

“Noted,” Brian told him in a low voice. After all, the Chief was right.

“If you think he’s an asshole now, wait until he hears about Taylor getting away,” Michael muttered in undertone, only heard by Brian.

“Now let’s not make the patient waiting,” the Chief turned to the nurse, that was just standing quietly beside them this whole time. “Lead the way, young lady.”

During the long and silent elevator ride Brian realized that if Chris had even a slight suspicion about what the connection between Brian and Justin really was, both of them were in even bigger danger than before. There was no way out now, and no hopes to carry on with their lives like nothing happened. Brian had to do something, and this time it couldn’t just be kidnapping Justin and hiding him away.

After all, could they really hide away from Chris Hobbs?


	17. The Man Upstairs

**District 29, 2270.**

For a long time, there was only darkness. Sometimes a voice or a flash of white would pierce through, but never loud or bright enough to make any difference. The veil of heavy, smothering darkness was solid, thick and seemed nearly impenetrable. It also lasted so long; Cody got used to it.

He wasn’t supposed to remember, but he did. The first thing he recalled after opening his eyes was being in the darkness for a whole eternity. So, he heaved in panic, and wheezed as he trashed on the bed, and, exhausted, he even sobbed at some point. And when he raised his hand to try and use his power, it was not there. It had left him. At first, he was absolutely terrified upon the discovery, thinking that the trauma had affected him, and now the power was swallowed by the darkness to never return, but then he touched his neck.

To feel a long forgotten, yet still familiar stiffness somewhere above his collarbone. The Stub seemed like it was placed hastily, but still effectively did its job. Cody was now powerless. And his muscles burned, ached; his whole body, in fact, felt so sore that he could barely point out where was it that he was wounded exactly. 

As soon as he realized that he once again was chipped, he felt a wave of helpless anger swallow his body, followed by the immediate desire to just scratch it out from under his skin with his bare hands. He tried, of course, to no avail. That’s when the doctors rushed into his room and sedated him. 

Now he was numb. He thought back to sitting against the cold wall of a Bazaar shop, looking at Justin running away. Back then the thought of Justin never coming back flashed through Cody’s mind, but he forced it away, deemed it impossible, and just waited. And waited, and waited, until his consciousness blurred and finally gave out, leaving him in the very darkness he just came out of. 

That meant the thought was true. Justin had never returned.

For a short while Cody was angry, but discarded the feeling fast enough. After all, he didn’t know what happened to Justin, he didn’t know what happened to anyone. 

That was when the fear came. What if all of them were dead? What if he was the only one that was captured and left in the mercy of the government? If that was true, Cody was sure he could think of something to help him to go back in the darkness once more. This time permanently.

His room was half empty, with grayish-blue walls and had a small narrow window covered by an artificial glowing paper, so he couldn’t even see outside. Maybe, it was there with no intention behind it, but Cody preferred to think that Dome people just wanted to rob him off of daylight as a psychological control thing. 

Some of the doctors and nurses had tried to talk to Cody, but he didn’t answer a single thing. He hasn’t said anything at all since he woke up and he wasn’t planning to. They can threaten him, they can torture him, they can do anything they want. He was not going to talk. 

“Mr. Bell,” a young brunette nurse that he was sure he’d seen earlier entered the room. “The police are on their way; they will soon be here to talk to you.”

Cody wondered how long of a time had passed since he was swallowed by darkness, but he kept his silence stubbornly. The nurse approached and pulled one of the tubes from under his skin, he assumed these were some nourishing liquids, since he refused to eat solid food earlier. He wasn’t going to take a single thing from anyone under the Dome. Even if they forced him to eat anyway.

When he noticed that glowing paper on his window started to change its color from light blue to dark purple, imitating evening twilight, the door finally opened, revealing three men behind it. Cody was interested, but didn’t show it, taking his time before turning his head towards the doorway. 

The shortest one was unknown to Cody, had a naïve face, raven-black hair and the eyes of a lost child. The oldest one was the Chief, Cody remembered him from a couple of news segments he watched with Justin the rest on Hunter’s holo-screen. 

At the thought of his friends Cody felt a pang of pure, heart wrenching sadness, but forced himself to keep a straight face.

The third man Cody had remembered as well, he showed up a couple of times on the news, standing behind Chief’s shoulder. He was hard to forget: tall, dark and handsome, seemingly nonchalant, but something at the very bottom of his eyes told Cody he was worried. Cody didn’t know why and didn’t really care anyway.

“Hello, Mr. Bell,” said the Chief as the three of them stepped into the room and closed the door. “How are you feeling?”

 _Like you care,_ Cody thought. But stayed silent, just solemnly glaring at the men, while the Chief sat down on the chair beside him, raven-haired officer actually dared to carefully position himself at the foot of Cody’s bed, and the tall one stayed standing, but leaned his back against the wall, studying Cody’s face with a blank expression. 

After a couple of seconds of long, tense silence, the short officer softly said. “Cody, we just want to talk. We are not here to arrest you.”

“Yet,” the tall one added in an undertone, eyeing his feet as he crossed his arms on his chest.

“Brian,” chastised the short one with an annoyed glance over his shoulder. 

“It’s true,” shrugged the one named Brian. “You are going to get arrested, Mr. Bell, whether you like it or not. As for the sentence, it fully depends on your cooperation.”

Cody darted his look from one officer to another and huffed in quiet irritation. Such an obvious good cop/bad cop routine amused him a little bit, but not nearly enough to actually get him to talk. He smirked just to taunt them, and for a very, very short moment, just a tiny fraction of a second it seemed like Brian smirked back at him.

“Things are not looking very good for you now, son,” Chief finally chimed in and that’s when it hit Cody right in the face. He was no one’s son. Eleventh was his only family from since he was three, he had no parents, no keen, and no one that would actually care for him, except for Justin, Hunter and Daphne.

These three officers in front of him were the only ones to know what happened at the Eleventh after he blacked out, and if he wasn’t going to talk to them, he will not receive any information either. Was it worth his pride? Obviously, he won’t sell anyone out, he’d rather die. But why not try and get at least a bit of information.

“I’m no son of yours,” he groaned eventually, voice low and hard to control after the coma and the silence. “Tell me what happened to my friends.”

“They left you, that’s what’s happened,” Brian answered coldly, meeting Cody’s eyes for the first time and holding the stare. “We’ve only got you.”

Then on the other hand, they could be lying and he won’t even know it. Cody gritted his teeth helplessly and frowned. 

“Where’s Justin?” he asked finally, looking the tall man directly in the eye. After all, he seemed to be the one to talk the most, and something told Cody he was also the most honest. Cody didn’t trust the sweet officer on his bed, he also didn’t really trust Chief, since each time Cody had seen him on holovision, he was spewing some bullshit about catching them and sentencing them and hell knows what.

“Damned if I know,” Brian told him, chewing the inside of his cheek nonchalantly. “Probably at the Eleventh. At your expense.”

Cody knew better than to get angry again. He knew that the tall officer was just trying to confuse him, to mess with this head, to make him think like his friends betrayed him. And yet he couldn’t help but feel the irritation stir up.

“My name is Sergeant Michael Novotny, Cody,” said the sweet officer. “And this is Chief Carl Horvath. And this is Lieutenant Brian Kinney,” he nodded at both of his colleagues. “And, as I said, we’re just here to ask you a few questions.”

“And the first one would be?” finally, Cody felt the familiar anger washing over him. The sedative’s effect was slowly wearing off. “Why I was born the way I was? Or would it be why my family decided to drop me off at an orphanage for no apparent reason? Or better, officer, are you gonna ask me why I was treated like trash by the likes of you for my whole fucking life, even though you and me are hardly different?”

“Cody–” 

“I bet I know what your question really is, though,” he was still quiet, talking in a hissing whisper. He didn’t want to alert the doctors and get sedated again. “Why did we do it? Well, if it isn’t clear to you by now, I honestly don’t know how I can help.”

Cody was breathing heavily and only noticed how tired he was from talking after he finished. He leaned back on his pillows with an exhausted sigh as the silence fell upon the now dark room. Seemingly amused, Brian clapped his hands to turn up the light, and something in his mocking expression told Cody that he was tempted to clap some more just to make fun out of him.

But he didn’t.

“I understand you, Cody,” Michael probed again with a tentative look in his large brown eyes. “Listen, I–”

“Yeah, like hell you do,” Cody spat sardonically. He felt more like his old self now that the numbness was fully gone. “I only talked so that I can hear about my friends. If you didn’t lie to me, I’ve got my answer. If you think I’m going to betray any of them, think again. I owe Justin my life. I’d rather die than let something happen to him.”

“Well, I don’t exactly see him running to save you,” Chief finally spoke, probably catching on the fact that Cody was way more responsive to the bad cop tactic. “Do you know how long has it been since you’ve gotten here?”

Cody felt another sudden pang, of disappointment this time. Chief was right, nobody had come to get him. Yet, he once again shoved these thoughts aside, although it took way more effort now than before. He didn’t know if they tried to get him. He didn’t know anything.

“I don’t care,” Cody replied simply, folding his arms across his chest. “If you want to make me hate them, I dare you to try again. We did nothing wrong. After centuries of fucking abuse we endured, a trashed store is the least you deserved,” he glared at each of them, pure rage boiling at the bottom of his eyes. “And if you still assume we’re criminals, I suggest you think it over next time you kiss Stockwell’s ass.”

“Funny you should say that, since Stockwell’s dead,” Brian is the only one that seemed to keep up with Cody’s emotions and actually had something to say. “So are the six police officers protecting the Eleventh. So, the store is truly the least of your worr–”

 _“Protecting from who?”_ Cody screamed. He didn’t care, he will think about Stockwell later. Good fucking riddance, if anything. “You seem to remember so well how many of your people died. How many of mine? How many _short-dozens_ had died, Lieutenant? Have you even bothered to count?” 

Once again, there was silence. Until Brian finally said “This is getting us nowhere, I’m calling the nurse for some sedative.”

And left the room. 

Cody screamed at them some more, but he didn’t remember what it was he screamed about. When Brian had finally returned with the nurse and they gave him his shot, Cody once again felt like he was floating away in the blissful, soothing darkness.

**District 11, 2270.**

Daphne’s hair smelled like home. Justin held her for the longest time, even longer that his mother, as all three of them were standing in the little room of the southern watch post. Hunter awkwardly warned them that he was going to share the news with the others and Justin had a bit of time to spend with his mom and Daphne before he had to greet everyone.

Justin thought that he would probably need to say hello to people from Hope, but as he walked out of the watch post and into the streets of the Eleventh, he understood immediately that his assumption was a huge underestimation.

People were out there, standing and waiting for him to come out. People he didn’t even know. Smiling, holding children in their arms, some even tearing up a little. They wanted to wave at him, shake his hand, hug him, and some of them were sharing how important it was for them and the whole Eleventh what he had started. 

By the time he finally got to the Bazaar he was hugged at least a couple dozen times and felt absolutely overwhelmed. He was surprised to see that most of the shops still worked and pleased to notice that the screen towering over the square before was now gone, probably demolished by someone’s powers. Maybe it was even Ben who took care of it. 

People from Hope were also there, so Justin was hugged an additional dozen times, and he himself was actually quite happy to see all of them, except he couldn’t get rid of the bitter, nagging feeling each time he thought of Cody. They had to get to him, the faster the better. At this point breaking the law or even being recognized didn’t really matter, since they were now an open rebellion. All they had to care about was getting away fast, and Justin made a mental note to ask Hunter about just how many people were able to teleport among them.

He was able to regain control over his people quickly, since everyone at the Eleventh knew who he was, and everyone also realized what their next objective was going to be, since Cody was still not around. At one point Daphne had mentioned to Justin about the interrogations Hunter and Callie were involved in, so the next morning after he came back, Justin decided to try and pry into the captured officers heads to see if they were indeed hiding anything.

As soon as he walked into the little basement of the watch post the officers were kept in, he understood that the men were clearly exhausted. There were three of them sitting on the floor, their backs pressed to the wall and their heads hung. When they heard the door close behind Justin and Daphne, they didn’t even flinch. It took them a good moment to straighten their backs and actually look up at Justin.

Which would have caused them to freeze immediately, if they weren’t already tied up.

“Taylor,” the one in the middle gasped, and Justin expected an angry tirade, but it didn’t follow. Nothing followed.

“I am not here to interrogate you,” Justin said softly. He spotted a stool in the corner of the basement, dragged it in the middle of the room and gestured for Daphne to sit. 

Instead of getting another stool for himself, Justin just sat down on the floor to face the men, his legs crossed. The pose was good to gain some composure and concentrate. Besides, he would be able to endear the officers by being on the same physical level with them.

“All I need you to do is relax,” Justin said, eyeing each of their faces slowly. “You don’t even have to say anything.”

This was the first time Justin would be trying something like this with anyone who wasn’t Brian. The night before, when he just got back and everyone had already gone to sleep, Justin and Daphne spent long hours after midnight, just talking. And there were a million chances for Justin to try and join Daphne’s mind, but he didn’t offer. He felt a strange fear of his new power, since the only person he ever tried it with was Brian, and Justin knew Brian was strong and could push back if anything went wrong. He wasn’t sure Daphne could and was scared to hurt her.

Not that he wanted to hurt these men, but trying the power on them was still a better alternative.

For starters, Justin picked the officer sitting in the middle, the one that at least tried to speak to him. He started gently, carefully, unfolding the layers of another’s consciousness, realizing immediately that it was nothing like his experience with Brian. When he joined Brian’s mind, it felt like two pieces of a puzzle clicked together, and he knew immediately what to do, feeling completely at home. Not to mention he didn’t have to bother about hiding anything. This, on the other hand, was like pushing your way through a thick dark forest: a million of fragments of thoughts and memories swarming around you, all the while you had to remember to shield your mind at the same time.

“Just what the fuck is going on, Taylor?” he heard the man say. Several times, in fact, while Daphne just shushed at him. 

There was nothing of use that Justin could find, doesn’t matter how hard he tried. It started to get irritating, but he didn’t want to let that on. He remembered how easy it was with Brian, and then he remembered Brian’s face, and how warm it felt to just simply look into his eyes.

“Justin!”

A call was sudden and way too loud in the nearly empty quiet basement, so Justin flinched as he got distracted and felt his thoughts spill over the edge of another’s mind, but quickly shut off and didn’t notice a confused, nearly shocked expression on the officer’s face.

It was Hunter, led by Callie hand in hand. Justin took a deep breath and tried to get himself together after the huge disappointment this whole power exploration thing ended up being. 

“What’s up?” Justin raised his eyebrows at them.

“Tracy said there’s a dude at the watch post asking for you,” Hunter explained. “She didn’t see him from far away, so she didn’t say much.”

“She was pissed, since he wouldn’t go away,” Callie added. “I think we should all go take a look.”

“I’m coming, too,” Daphne chimed in, getting up from the stool. “In case you guys mess up or anything.”

“Sure, mom,” Hunter shot back, unspiteful, yet a little nervous. “I’ll jump and get Darren or Shanda to walk out and stalk him.”

Could it be Brian? Justin’s silly heart jumped in anticipation, no matter how hard he was trying not to get his hopes up too much. Ever since Brian had let him go willingly, Justin couldn’t stop thinking that maybe they were going to find a common ground after all, someday, if not now. He also missed the man so much it ached, every single moment he wasn’t busy with Eleventh business or thinking about Cody. As he looked at Hunter disappearing into thin air, Justin tried his best not to break into a run up the stairs.

**District 11, 2270.**

Brian truly, honestly tried to understand what exactly had led him here while he stood in the shadows, looking at one of the overtaken watch posts, waiting for Justin no appear. 

Or maybe, he was just deceiving himself, since he knew exactly what led him. And it wasn’t even his connection to Justin, wasn’t even his longing. At least, not completely. It was a feeling so unfamiliar to Brian he nearly decided he didn’t have it at all.

It was a sense of justice. 

After Cody was sedated once again and Brian drove back to the station with both Michael and Horvath in his car, Chief got a call from Hobbs. Later it turned out he didn’t want Brian to know about the contents of the conversation, but was mistaken in regards to where Chief’s loyalties lay. Brian wondered once again how much did Chris really know and what danger he himself was really in. 

The plan was so simple and so brilliant. They would all arrange an exchange of hostages, but Hobbs’s Curbs will be there to ensure that no exchange in fact happens. Nobody knew the project was already finished and first shipment was completely ready for use, so no one could be ready.

In return, Hobbs wanted to deal with Taylor himself. And hell knew what that meant. 

Horvath said no at first, later was hesitant, had a fight with Brian, and finally called Hobbs back to agree once they got to the station. Chief could be firm and stubborn when he wanted to, and Brian knew this was his last word. There was no other way, he said. Later he went on trying to convince Brian how Hobbs is their Mayor now and he is also helping, so why the hell shouldn’t they accept a chance to put an end to a rebellion by using Cody Bell as a bait.

That led to Brian’s sleepless night and a decision of his own which he hoped won’t eventually blow up in his face.

This was exactly why he was now standing here, hands deep in the pockets of his black overcoat. He parked his car back at the Hub, took a train and even walked about a mile on foot to not raise any suspicion. Cops were now everywhere, but Brian knew a way or two around his home district. 

“I’m watching you, so don’t move!” the brunette girl repeated in a yell. Brian’s cyber eye allowed him to take a way better look at her than she had at him, and he actually managed to recognize her. The shield girl. “Not that you can, anyway.” She added quieter, scoffing.

Brian stood for about a couple minutes, just waiting, when he felt a weird sensation of someone’s presence near him. It wasn’t just the gut feeling, but the cop feeling as well. Yet, he didn’t let it on, just watching at the corner of his eye.

Until there was movement on top of the watch post, a few new voices pierced the air and finally, Brian saw a familiar head of bright golden locks. He actually allowed himself to smile at the sight, even though it hasn’t been full twenty-four hours since he’d last seen Justin. He was also relieved there was no buzzcut, after all.

“Let him in, Trace,” somehow, Brian was able to hear Justin way better than everyone else, even thought the wind and the distance. “He is no threat. Not to me at least.”

“Okay, Justin,” the girl replied hesitantly and Brian felt the shield in front of him dissolve, the last sound of its steady humming getting quiet. “You can move now!”

Instead of just waiting for Brian to approach, Justin disappeared hurriedly behind his friend’s backs and into the watch post’s doorway, only to later reemerge downstairs and pace towards Brian to meet him halfway. 

Dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a navy-blue hoodie, Justin looked strangely cozy. He was also the only familiar face around here, not to mention Brian’s soulmate, so as soon as he approached, Brian immediately felt at ease, but didn’t stop staring. During the last days that they spent in his apartment together, Brian discovered he actually quite liked watching Justin. Partially because of the fact that looking at him calmed Brian down better than anything else, but mostly because Justin was simply beautiful.

“Hey,” Brian said, suddenly finding himself in a lighter mood than he was a minute ago.

“Hey,” Justin echoed, smiling back. He looked into Brian’s eyes at first, probably contemplating if he should kiss him or not. He didn’t. Instead, he looked somewhere behind his soulmate’s shoulder and said: “You can go now, Shanda. We’ll be a moment.”

Brian knew the feeling wasn’t wrong. He glanced behind his shoulder, and there she was: a tall blond girl with a smirk on her face, just emerging out of nowhere.

“Damn, Justin, I don’t even know who to call a pretty boy anymore,” she drawled, giving Brian a playful once-over. 

“Get lost,” Justin giggled, not at all irritated. Brian wasn’t sure he wanted to play along, so he just stayed silent instead.

“Your wish is my command,” the girl purred at Justin, and added: “Boss.”

“I said–”

“Going!” 

With that, she waved at Brian with a flirtatious wink and headed towards the gate. Brian watched her go and not even halfway there, the girl slowly but inevitably became invisible, until there was absolutely no trace of her left to see. He expected something like that, but it still felt strange.

Justin, on the other hand, seemed like this was a usual thing to him. “She’s really gone this time, don’t worry,” he said, tossing a quick look back at the now empty road.

“Boss, huh?” Brian raised an amused eyebrow at him.

“She’s full of shit,” Justin chuckled, as if that explained anything.

They stood for a while, facing each other, while their playful mood and the joy from seeing one another quickly evaporated. Brain didn’t forget why he came here, but let himself a couple of moments to just feel Justin’s presence near and let it have its usual effect. However, the time was now running out.

“I saw Cody yesterday,” Brian finally said, this time fully serious. “He’s up.”

Justin looked around like was afraid of being watched, and then suddenly wrapped his hand around Brian’s wrist. The warm, familiar touch sent a shiver down Brian’s spine, although he’d never have admitted to feeling anything like that. 

“Come with me,” Justin asked. “We can’t talk out here anyway.”

It was dangerous. Yet, not half as dangerous as Brian simply coming here in the first place. He kept silence, without actually contemplating anything, but rather just wanting to be convinced by Justin.

“Most of them won’t even recognize you anyway,” Justin insisted, pulling Brian towards the gate. “And those who will would never touch you as long as you’re with me.”

It was so strange, seeing Justin in his own element, actually being a leader of the Eleventh. He was no longer a lost helpless boy that came looking for Brian three years ago, not even a confused irritated boy kidnapped and held in Brian’s apartment, alone. He was confident, even powerful. He could guarantee Brian’s safety now, not the other way around. 

_Was it ever the other way around?_ Brian thought as he was led through the gate, Justin’s palm never leaving his. He had never tried to truly protect Justin, not because he cared for him at least. Did he care for him now? Brian didn’t know. The only thing he knew was he didn’t want to part their hands clasped together. 

“So, do I have to meet your parents already?” Brian joked awkwardly, now passing the half-empty watch post on the inside. A few kids guarding it eyed him and Justin intently, but didn’t say a word. 

“I believe you already have,” Justin pointed out with a shrug, yet smiled slightly anyway. “Jokes aside, you don’t have to meet anyone you don’t want to. In fact, the less people you meet the better. We’ll talk upstairs then I’ll have Hunter take you back.”

With that, he took a sharp turn and went up the dark narrow staircase Brian didn’t even notice was there. Brian also didn’t have any other choice than to follow and enjoy the view until they both finally reached a dimly lit room upstairs. It was completely empty, a large window looking at the eerie dusty road they’ve just met on. 

“How is he?” Justin immediately asked, leaning his back against the wall and gestured his palm towards a chair in the corner of the room.

Brian didn’t like to be looked down upon both figuratively and literally, so he shook his head and stayed standing. “He’ll live. I may or may not have led him to believe that you’ve abandoned him back at the fight.”

“I hope it was worth whatever you’ve done it for,” Justin muttered, seemingly getting upset. 

“I had to taunt him to make it seem like I want him to speak,” Brian explained, smothering a pang of sudden desire to step closer and hold Justin’s hand once again. “Anyway, that’s not what I’m here for.”

“What it is then?” Justin glanced at him, eyes glistening in the dark. 

“Chief and Hobbs came up with a plan to lure you out,” Brian began, this time stepping close instinctively, without even realizing it. “With Cody as a bait. Have you heard of Curb?”

“Who hasn’t,” Justin sighed, not at all surprised by the news about the plan. “What about it?”

“It’s fully ready to use,” Brian told him. “And no one knows yet but Hobbs and the police. Even I was not supposed to. I can tell you the gist of the–”

“Show me instead,” Justin cut in with a determined look. 

Brian was caught off guard for a moment, and then remembered them joining their minds for the first time, which inevitably reminded him of Justin’s soft skin under his lips, the way he looked underneath Brian, ready to be taken, in fact, begging to be. Brian felt his cock harden at the mere memory, yet now surely was not the time.

“Fine,” he complied. “Do your thing.”

He knew Justin could enter his head without physically touching him, but for some reason that wasn’t what happened. Justin crossed the distance between them in a few tentative steps, gently took Brian’s hands in his and gave him a reassuring look as if Brian was scared. Brian wasn’t scared, though. He was ready to let Justin do whatever he wanted, and even helped retrieve the very memory Justin needed: the retelling of Horvath’s and Hobbs’s conversation, during which Horvath describes the plan and the role of Curb in it briefly.

The memory was long over, yet Justin still didn’t break the connection, searching for something else. And when he finally found it, another wave of heat rushed all over Brian’s body because it ended up being the same thing he just thought about seconds ago.

“So surreal you’re here,” Justin whispered before he tip-toed to press his mouth again Brian’s, not even kissing him yet, just brushing against his skin. “I still can’t believe it.”

“Me neither,” Brian rasped, wrapping his arms around Justin’s waist to pull him closer against his chest. “You’re actually in charge here. Look at you, all grown up.”

They still weren’t kissing, just whispering in each other’s lips, hot breath burning on their skin. Justin chuckled. “Are you proud?”

“Yeah,” Brian said simply. He didn’t feel like joking anymore.

Justin glared at him for a moment, almost like he was testing his soulmate or waiting for him to laugh. But Brian didn’t. Instead, he just ran his knuckles against Justin’s soft cheek before leaning in and finally kissing him. The kiss was careful and tender, and Brian kept it that way, although at some point all he wanted was to push Justin against the wall and devour his mouth.

“You mean it?” Justin said breathlessly as the kiss broke off. 

His eyes were truly the deepest blue Brian had ever seen before. At first, Brian thought about appearing tongue-in-cheek, or darting his eyes in a mocking way to pretend like he was contemplating something, but somehow, he knew this wasn’t what Justin wanted.

So, he tucked a stray golden lock behind his soulmate’s ear and nodded. “Wouldn’t have said it otherwise.”

After all, he did mean it. Justin would have immediately found out if he didn’t, anyway. It seemed as if Justin knew exactly what Brian was thinking, without even being in his head literally. This beautiful man wasn’t scared to cut out his Stub on his own, accepted his soulmate’s rejection to only grow stronger from it, led the whole district into a rebellion and now was in Brian’s arms, happy that Brian was proud of him. Something about all of that (he couldn’t point a finger at exactly what it was) filled Brian with sheer, pure joy. 

He didn’t want to give it another thought, so he just kissed Justin again instead. This time they were both more heated from all the tiny gentle kisses, so their lips crushed together; wet, hungry and hasty. Brian walked Justin in his arms and ended up pressing him against the wall, his opened palms immediately finding their way under Justin’s hoodie. Brian’s hands were slightly cold, and felt even colder on Justin’s warm, soft skin, so Justin hissed into Brian’s mouth, but didn’t flinch for a second, pressing his body tighter against his soulmate’s. They kissed for minutes on end: hot tongues in each other’s mouths, breaths coming in short puffs.

This was something about all this that Brian missed, unknowingly so, and longed for every day Justin wasn’t near. Every look, touch, kiss they shared, was filled with something absolutely new. A warm, shimmering, almost magical heat took over his blood, washing over him with a wave after wave of desire, and Justin was right there to fulfil it.

At this point, Brian was already so hard he would have probably fucked Justin then and there right against that wall. However, a watch post was called a watch post for a reason.

“Justi– _whoa._ Okay,” Justin stiffened immediately under Brian’s hands, and they finally disconnected their lips as well as their minds. “It’s not that I’m not happy that you’re getting along, It's just that everyone wants to know what the hell is going on already, so they sent me in. But if you need another moment…”

“It’s fine, Daph,” Justin heaved as Brian stepped back. “It’s good you showed up, actually.”

They probably were way too immersed in the kiss and their connection to hear footsteps on the stairs. Brian wasn’t ready to look away from Justin yet: his soulmate was flushed, disheveled and still struggling to catch his breath. Brian fought with himself for a couple of moments and finally admitted that Justin looked absolutely adorable this way. 

Obviously, a second later he had to scold himself for all these soft, nice, _soulmate_ things in his mind and finally look at the direction of the person who came in. 

“Hey, Daphne,” a corner of Brian’s mouth jerked slightly at her shell-shocked expression. “Even prettier in the flesh than you were on the tape.”

“Thanks, Brian,” she answered shily, both of them not wanting to pretend like they didn’t know each other from long ago. “It’s… great that you’re finally here.”

A question Brian didn't need to voice flashed in his head.

“Only the closest people know,” Justin immediately explained, without even needing to read Brian’s thoughts. He looked way readier to have an actual conversation now, quickly becoming the leader he was back when he led Brian in. “Speaking of whom…”

Justin approached the stair rails, leaned his upper body against it and looked intently downstairs. “Jason?”

“Yeah?” came the voice from the first floor.

“Could you get Hunter over here?”

“Sure,” the voice complied. “Callie or no Callie?”

Justin darted his eyes aside, contemplating his answer for a second. “No Callie for now. Preferably.”

“I’ll try my best.” the voice chuckled. "But no promises."

It seemed to Brian like Justin was about to simply thank the Jason guy, but in a moment his soulmate’s eyes sparked up with something Brian could not quite identify.

“Jason?” Justin all but hung his body down across the rail and raised his voice. “Jason!”

“Still here, what is it?” 

“While you’re at it, look for Ted, would you? I’d like a word with him.”

“As you say, Justin.” 

“Thanks.”

Brian watched the exchange silently, yet again amazed at how smooth things seemed to work around here under Justin’s command. Seeing a man like this, even if he would have been his soulmate, would have still sparked an interest in Brian. Powerful people were usually attractive, and here at the Eleventh Justin was as powerful as they come.

 _“Ted?”_ Daphne frowned at Justin after exchanging a dubious look with Brian. Brian didn’t understand anything of what was going on yet and had no idea who the hell was Ted anyway, so he just shrugged at her. “What’s on your mind?” 

“You’ll get it once I tell you,” Justin replied, propping his thigh against the railing as he folded his arms across his chest. “We’ll need to discuss a plan, and… would you like to stay for that, Brian?” 

Brian was caught off guard with being addressed so suddenly, since a second ago he was busy admiring Justin’s all business attitude. He thought for a moment, and nodded curtly. “Sure.”

At the end of the day, Brian didn’t have much left to lose. And, as sappy as it was, Justin’s bright, heartwarming grin that followed his answer somehow made Brian even more confident.


	18. Beneath Your Moon

**District 11, 2270.**

At first, Justin wanted Brian to leave as soon as it was possible. Some time later, he found himself blurting out a suggestion for Brian to stay for a brief rundown or their plan (totally without thinking, though). And then he realized he wanted Brian to stay the night. Back when Justin first left him, in the dark Seventeenth alleyway, it took all the strength he had to actually go with Hunter. And now Justin didn’t feel like there was any will in him left at all after that. Seeing Brian, touching Brian, smelling Brian again was amazing and surreal and Justin couldn’t get enough. Nor could he give it up, at least for now.

“I didn’t think you’d agree,” Justin confessed, locking his fingers with Brian’s as they walked towards his old apartment. “Even you coming was surreal, and now you’re… staying.”

Did Justin mention surreal already? Brian gently rocked their palms clasped together and a corner of his lips jerked slightly.

“Well, I’m fresh out of shots and my dealer does not provide anymore,” Brian shrugged, and he even sounded cold enough for Justin to believe these words. Yet, they were still holding hands. And then Brian ran his thumb over Justin’s knuckles absentmindedly, erasing even the slightest shade of doubt that Justin still had left.

“Sure,” Justin drawled sardonically as the knowing smirk settled on his lips. “That’s also exactly the reason why you are risking your life to help a bunch of repdigits earn their human rights. I _totally_ believe you.”

Brian watched his soulmate at the corner of his eye and bit his cheek on the inside. “Keep being a smartass and you won’t get fucked tonight.” 

Justin gasped for air to answer, but swallowed his words instead. Up until this point he wasn’t sure why Brian had decided to stay after all. Of course, Justin wanted him; more than anything he wanted to… ‘fuck’ was such a crude word for it when it came to soulmates, but if that’s what Brian called it, so be it. It’s not like there was anything more appropriate to name it, really.

Justin got slightly irritated with himself for the thought process of a swooning schoolgirl and just pushed his fingers firmer between Brian’s. His soulmate didn’t seem to mind: any skin on skin contact brought a brief, oh so needed clarity and calmness for both of them.

Eleventh at this time of night seemed uncannily mysterious. It was way past midnight: thick blueberry darkness overtook the streets, diluted only by purple neon light. For power preservation, they eventually decided to cut a substantial part of illumination and leave just enough to walk around safely in the darkness. Ever since the rebellion, all the youth were busy with protecting the district at night and people who couldn’t do that honored some unspoken rule not to walk out much after darkness. Justin preferred it that way, although he never actually declared any curfew. 

The mere thought that he could have successfully done that if he’d wanted to still scared him. 

Near Brian, even the tingling pending vision didn’t attack Justin’s mind right away, as usual. It crept gently, timidly; sweet chills running down Justin’s neck and onto his spine as he decided to comply. He was safe now, as safe as he could be with his hand wrapped in Brian’s.

_Flash. Hot hands on him; needy, hasty. Breath burning on wet mouth; lips pulling throaty moans out of him. Pitch-dark, all he sees is skin: pale, milky, glistening. Is that him, like Brian sees him?_

The vision was brief and easy to return from, Justin only had to take a couple of shallow breaths before he fully regained his eyesight. Brian, however, noticed it anyway and lightly squeezed his soulmate’s palm. “What was it?”

A tiny, barely even noticeable spark of disappointment from not seeing anything actually useful was swallowed whole by the excitement and a wave of heat that immediately ran through Justin’s whole body. He smirked again, darting his eyes aside. “You’ll know soon enough.”

Brian seemed to have caught on the playful mood and decided to allow the both of them to have at least a little fun before they had to return to being occupied with the city’s fate. So, he played along, turning around and walking backwards. His hand was still holding Justin’s as he jested: “Section seven, paragraph three of the _Official Eleventh District Denizen’s Rulebook:_ in case of any special ability usage occurrence, deliberate or otherwise, report immediately to a law enforcement officer closest in your vicinity,” Brian stopped abruptly, nearly causing Justin to collide into him. His voice went somewhat low and sultry as he added: “That, Mr. Taylor, would be me.”

Justin let out an amused huff as he lifted his face to give Brian a scrutinizing look. “You actually remember that shit by heart?” 

“Have to,” Brian shrugged dismissively and finally released Justin’s hand, only to cup the back of his neck and lean closer. Their noses nearly touching, Brian repeated hotly against Justin’s mouth: “Now, what was it?” 

Justin sincerely thought he was going to go into a sensory overload. Brian’s hand on the back of his neck felt cold, but burned nonetheless; his breath was honey sweet and moist on Justin’s mouth. Justin wanted nothing more than to kiss the man: his soulmate, after all, was beautiful as ever leaning towards him like that, with his inviting, slightly opened lips and large hazel eyes peering into Justin from under the long, thick eyelashes.

However, the playfulness was still long from evaporated, so Justin flashed a cheeky grin at Brian and cocked his eyebrow. “And just what is the high and mighty officer going to go if I don’t report? Arrest me?”

They nearly made it to Justin’s building before Brian stopped and the streets here were usually desolated even before the rebellion. Justin figured Brian would have felt it if somebody was watching them, so he allowed himself to relax for some time.

“Could definitely happen,” Brian rasped, quick tongue running between his lips. The tension was now almost palpable between them, even the air seemed to thicken as Justin breathed in. Or maybe he was just so close to Brian that it simply was filled with his soulmate’s scent: cologne, cigarettes, musk.

Justin tip-toed and brushed his lips against Brian’s cheek, whispering. “So far it looks to me like you are not very competent when it comes to arrests, Lieutenant.”

With that, he giggled breathily and stepped aside, tugging on Brian’s hand once again as he loped towards the building entrance. If Brian wouldn’t have wanted to be led in, the maneuver surely would have failed. However, it didn’t happen. Brian chuckled slightly in response and just allowed Justin to pull himself ahead; probably they shared the same desire to end up behind a firmly closed door, Justin decided.

“Unironically,” Justin heard Brian say in a wondering tone as they finally entered the apartment. “Sounded hot when you called me Lieutenant.”

Justin snorted, amused. “Must be a hell of a tough time at work, getting hard every time someone addresses you.”

The apartment was dark and stuffy; it has been a fairly long time since Justin had visited to stay the night. Ever since his return, he preferred to stay at a watch post instead, didn’t matter which one. Looking after the district gave him purpose, even though he wasn’t equipped with the best power to guard. But tonight, when Brian was here, it was just way too tempting to take the chance and ask his soulmate to stay here together.

Justin stepped towards the window and shoved the sliding frame aside, letting the purple neon spill all over the room. He was met by a light breath of fresh night air on his skin, but didn’t have enough time to enjoy it: Brian’s hands were already on him, pressing Justin’s body tightly against the older man’s chest.

“It only sounds hot when _you_ say it,” he corrected Justin, scratchy chin pressed against the crook of his neck. 

Justin wrinkled his nose a little at the touch, but didn’t flinch. He leaned backwards into Brian instead. “Well, don’t ask me to scream it in bed.”

“A ‘Brian’ would do,” he felt the man shrug slightly. It was strange, but Brian’s tone seemed somewhat gentle now instead of suggestive: “Like the last time.”

Memories once again flooded Justin’s head: Brian’s hands on his naked body, Brian’s mouth wrapped around his cock, Brian’s kisses everywhere, all over his skin, hot and wet and wanting. Last time Justin was so into his own emotions and sensations that now he felt he didn’t spend enough time worshipping his soulmate like he deserved to be. It was a passing thought in Justin’s mind for a while ever since, he was just way too busy with making sure the district was safe to really give it a time of day.

He turned around in Brian’s arms, slightly surprised that the man is still willing to talk instead of dragging Justin to bed. “I don’t want it like the last time.”

A shade of confusion crossed Brian’s beautiful face, but he didn’t show any other emotion or do anything at all, allowing Justin to elaborate. Not with words, though, because instead of explanations Justin just crept slowly into Brian’s mind, familiar warmth welcoming him; he wanted to share every glimpse of every feeling he had, and he was sure somehow that Brian would understand. In a weird way, nobody had ever understood Justin better than Brian did, even despite the rejection. 

Justin’s eyes ran over Brian’s tall, lean frame, down and back up to his face, admiring. He made sure Brian knew just how beautiful Justin found him, and that was when Brian had finally realized what was going on. He straightened his back, silently allowing Justin to push his opened palms under his overcoat to eventually push it down. With a gentle rustle it fell on the floor and was quickly stepped out of and over as Justin led Brian backwards until the man ended up on the sofa. 

Justin threw his leg over Brian’s lap and sat on top of him, still holding the connection. A sharp, but pleased surprise from his soulmate pierced his thoughts. “Who are you and what have you done with Justin?” 

Justin had to slap Brian’s hands away when his soulmate tried to pull the hoodie off of him and smirked as he felt them cupping his ass instead. “More like what have _you_ done with him.”

With that, Justin finally leaned in to kiss him. Brian had one of those ridiculously expensive shirts with the nearly invisible magnet zips, so it took Justin a mere second to expose his bare chest, running his hasty palms all over it. It was smooth and golden, and Justin couldn’t help but to break the kiss and trace his mouth wetly down Brian’s chin to his neck and eventually to his chest. It was hard not to lose himself in the connection, feeling flash after flash of Brian’s amazement, eagerness and desire, not to mention Justin was already painfully hard, but he concentrated as best as he could to let Brian know with every touch just how much had Justin admired him.

Last time, Brian took control the whole way. His usual callous demeanor was shed off, and he was truly caring for a change, making sure Justin wasn’t scared and trusted him enough to feel at ease. Justin did, and it was amazing, but now he wanted something different.

So, he rose to his feet quickly and pulled his hoodie off, instantly noticing a content smirk that Brian was eyeing him with. For a second, he just stood between Brian’s spread knees, both of them looking at each other. The smirk was now gone, replaced by something Justin didn’t remember seeing before on Brian’s face, something feral, glinting at the very bottom of his eyes.

That made Justin strangely content and he sank down on his knees and unbuckled Brian’s belt all by himself, once again having slapped his soulmate’s eager hands away. 

Brian’s cock was gorgeous, and Justin had every intention of worshipping it. He wasn’t even scared when he ran his tongue up the shaft, enjoying the feel of the velvety soft skin and the sound of Brian’s tensed shallow breath in the silence of the dark room. As he finally wrapped his warm mouth around Brian’s dick, a harmless idea came to mind.

_‘You don’t even have to tell me if I do something wrong,’_ he thought and concentrated his will on sending these words into the connection, so that they could potentially reach Brian; much the same way he concentrated physically on swallowing Brian whole. _‘I can feel it.’_

It seemed like Justin was launching a ping-pong ball at Brian. He noticed Brian flinch a little. For a mere second the man tensed, but Justin brushed a calming hand against his thigh as he continued to suck him, and that seemed to do the trick, because in a few seconds his head was filled with a raspy voice that, even nonverbal, still sounded breathless:

_‘You hear everything I think?’_ ping.

Justin giggled slightly with Brian’s dick deep in his throat. _‘No. But I probably could if I’d wanted to,’_ pong. 

_‘Do it again,’_ ping.

_‘What?’_ pong.

_‘The damned fucking giggle.’_

Justin didn’t have to force it, he truly felt like laughing anyway. After, he held his head down, squeezing his hands on Brian’s thighs and moaned, his throat vibrating around Brian’s cock while Justin welcomed a clear reflection of Brian’s sensations into his own mind. It was so bright and strong and pure that Justin got overwhelmed by it for a moment. And the fact that it was _him_ causing Brian to feel this way, only drove him wilder. 

“Get the fuck up,” this time Brian spoke out loud. Or more like growled, immediately jerking Justin upwards. He leaned his forehead against Justin’s stomach while unzipping his fly and discarded both his jeans and his underwear in one forceful shove. Soon enough Justin was pulled back to mount Brian’s lap, only now they were both naked enough to actually fuck.

Justin didn’t feel like giving the control over just yet, but as soon as he felt Brian’s fingers in between his ass cheeks he shivered, partially out of surprise, but mostly because he was getting impatient too at this point. Brian lifted his hips up while holding Justin firmly on his lap to reach for his pocket with his free hand and fish out a protection capsule.

“You just happen to have it on you?” Justin husked, burying his face in Brian’s neck to inhale a lungful of his smell and try to collect himself. Didn’t work.

“Don’t go anywhere without it,” Brian muttered. Justin knew this was going to be the answer, but somehow didn’t get upset. The vision in which Brian couldn’t bring himself to fuck another guy was still fresh in Justin’s mind.

It was also still amusing. Maybe, he would even have laughed now, but the pressure he suddenly felt and the intrusion that followed had caused him to inhale sharply, digging his fingers into Brian’s shoulders. The capsules dissolved fast, at least from what Justin had remembered, but Brian didn’t just wait. He pushed his finger deeper inside, all the while capturing Justin’s mouth with his; his tongue was hot, hard, and along with the brushing of their cocks against one another made Justin’s body shiver and his thoughts tangle. 

Justin heaved as he broke the kiss and pressed his forehead against Brian’s. He wanted it all and he wanted it now. “Brian,” he whispered.

“Yeah?” Justin felt one more finger being pushed inside, stretching his muscles even further.

He looked right into Brian’s eyes. It was hard to say it out loud, so he thought it instead. _‘Fuck me already.’_

Brian chuckled huskily, still pulling his fingers out and pushing them back in in agonizingly slow motions. “Say it.”

Justin knew somehow Brian was going to demand just that. He leaned closer, connecting their lips once again and mouthed: “Fuck me,” right into the kiss. It wasn’t as difficult as he thought it would be, in fact, he felt a sizzling hot jolt of lust pierce his body just as he said it. He didn’t think it was possible, but as soon as he asked, he wanted Brian to fuck him even more than seconds before.

Still kissing sloppily, Brian lifted Justin’s ass and let him adjust to eventually sink down on Brian's cock with a long, ragged exhale. Justin felt full and his muscles were throbbing; he also felt a swarm of Brian’s emotions rush over him as he sat for a while, unmoving, trying to even his breath at least a little bit. And then he spread his knees a little wider and set up only to move his hips back down, studying Brian’s blissful face intently as he did so. 

Brian wanted to grip his hands around Justin’s waist to direct him, but Justin was once again in control, so he didn’t let that happen. Instead, he steadied himself by pushing his opened palms against Brian’s shoulders as he set the pace.

Brian eventually just sank back into the sofa to watch, his hands resting lazily on Justin’s thighs. Justin wrapped his fingers around his own dick as he threw his head backwards, loosing himself in the rhythm. It felt new to lead, but he enjoyed it. Each bounce brought them both closer and closer to the edge, and Justin couldn’t even discern where were his own sensations and where were Brian’s anymore. His whole body seemed to burn and long and ache, but it felt sweet, and he wanted more. So, he moved faster, and as he did, Brian couldn’t content himself with just watching anymore. Soon enough Justin felt strong hands encircle him and pressing him right against Brian’s chest. They were both wheezing and sticky with sweat as their mouths collided in a sloppy, wet, never-ending kiss.

Justin spent the last bit of sanity he had left to stay in Brian’s mind and feel them both shudder as waves of scolding heat rushed over them; the connection seemed to go completely blank, or maybe their thoughts tangled so tightly together that it was impossible to tell them apart anymore. 

He went limp in Brian’s arms as they sat there breathless. Justin was way too overwhelmed, so he broke the connection and Brian apparently have decided that it was his cue to hold Justin slightly up and slide out of him. Despite doing that, Brian didn’t go anywhere, letting Justin nizzle his nose against his neck. 

Brian seemed strangely gentle again, running his palms down Justin’s back. “That was hot.”

“You think?” Justin drawled lazily into Brian’s skin, unable to move. Uncoherent pieces of thoughts slowly drifted around in his head, none forming into an actual sentence. 

“Are you going to tell me now about your vision?” Brian asked, lips somewhere in Justin’s hair. 

Justin let out a barely audible little giggle. “It came true alright.”

Slowly, the reality crept back to hang over Justin as he noticed that the sky was getting lighter behind the opened window. Cody was still in danger; Molly was still captured and Brian was still risking his life just by being here. But having Brian’s firm hands hold him felt so soothing that Justin allowed himself to close his eyes shut. He knew this wasn’t going to save him from the nearing dawn and all the pending decisions, but at least for a few more moments he could be calm and peaceful in Brian’s arms.

Justin didn’t have to move anymore, so laying naked with his skin exposed to the cool morning air started to feel a little chilly. However, he didn’t want to stand up at all, and especially not from Brian’s lap, so he cuddled up closer to his soulmate for more warmth. Brian held him tighter at first, but in a second seemed to have realized what was going on. So next thing he knew Justin was pressed firmly against Brian’s chest while Brian himself lunged forward to grab Justin’s hoodie from the floor. 

Justin only had enough time to gasp as the room went upside down around him for a moment, but of course Brian didn’t drop him and they were now safely back to their initial position. 

“Impressive,” Justin mumbled while pulling the hoodie on. As soon as he was done, his face was buried in Brian’s neck again. “Thanks. Never thought of you as the cuddly type.”

Brian’s body seemed to stiffen for a bit, but kept holding Justin. “I’m not.”

_“Right,”_ Justin drawled in response. It seemed slightly amusing to taunt Brian like that, even though he understood that if he were to go too far, the man would probably stop holding him without a second thought. For a moment Justin was tempted to slide into Brian’s mind again to see if he was at all irritated, but discarded the thought quickly.

“Whatever,” Brian sighed, but his hands were still on Justin’s waist and that was a good enough answer. “What’s with the mind talking thing?”

Justin wasn’t sure he could explain it even to himself. He thought about it before, but not long or hard enough to actually try it, and today it just occurred to him suddenly and he acted on a whim. “No idea, first time I tried it.”

They were quiet for some time, until Brian lolled his head to the back of the sofa. “Do you think we can use it while getting Bell?”

It took a good long while for this question to register in Justin’s mind. Yes, Brian came here on his own and yes, he stayed to discuss the plan, but only now it actually hit him: Brian was on his side. Justin could only imagine what it took for his soulmate to finally come to this conclusion, but felt so elated by it he could barely contain himself.

He cupped Brian’s slightly surprised face with his hands and kissed him gently, slowly, as if trying to share the feeling of shimmery warmth taking over his mind. “Yeah,” he finally said, a soft smile on his lips. “I think we can give it a shot.”

Justin didn’t need any mind reading to understand that Brian meant it and had no regrets. All he had to do was just look into his soulmate’s eyes.


	19. The Unknown

**District 29, 2270.**

“Mr. Bell,” Chris drawled as soon as the door opened. “You have no idea how relieved I am to see you alive and well.”

It really didn’t matter if Kinney or the Chief didn’t want him to be here. Being a Mayor and a couple of bribes along the way could do magic.

He stepped into the small room that was full of artificial gray light, his eyes never leaving a pale, tense face of Cody Bell. The kid looked like he lost quite a lot of weight compared to the tape Chris last saw him on. His skin was now so white it nearly blended with the crispy pillowcase his back was leaned against; clear grayish-blue eyes glaring at Chris with perfectly readable disdain.

“Just what the fuck are you doing here?” Cody hissed; his voice still not fully recovered. “First the cops, now you. Get the hell out, I’m not going to talk. Not with you, anyway.”

“I wouldn’t be so rash,” Chris responded vaguely as he dragged a chair from the corner of the room and closer to Cody’s bed. “They had you chipped again, hadn’t they?”

He tsk-tsked, shaking his head in disapproval and sat down, crossing one leg over the other. Cody didn’t respond, so Chris decided it’s better if he’d go for the heavy artillery right away. “You want to get rid of it?”

Complete silence fell over the room. Chris watched intently as the initial disdain and irritation in Cody’s eyes was ever so slowly replaced by a spark, a mere shade of curiosity. He swallowed hard, still way too far from trusting Chris, but clearly intrigued. Hobbs could easily see him lose his struggle to keep silence. “What do you mean?”

Chris had to smother a self-satisfied smirk. Playing with these children was just way too enjoyable, and they kept falling for his tactics. Hobbs wasn’t quite sure what it was: were they just so overly hopeful or didn’t they have any other choice. Or maybe, he was a good manipulator, after all. Anyway, with Horvath’s approval Chris could now have both Taylors and maybe rise even higher than Zion one day. Cody wasn’t that valuable, but Chris wouldn’t mind recruiting him as a bodyguard or something, so that Drew can watch over him. On top of that, having him would lure Justin Taylor too.

As soon as that’s done, Chris could move on the Eleventh, eliminate the rebellion and have the rest of the damned repdigits sold to anyone who’d want them under the Dome. With Curb, controlling the powers wasn’t really a big deal at all.

“That’s exactly what I mean,” Hobbs looked at Cody directly, trying to seem as nonchalant as he could. “Get rid of it. For good, this time. You can even laser the scar away.”

He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket, eventually pulling out a thin glistening envelope. As soon as Hobbs Enterprises started its endless work on Curbs, Chris’s engineers realized that Stubs were going to have to be removed. At least selectively. After all, if someone from the Dome would want a personal assistant or a servant with powers, there should be an effortless way for them to remove their Stub. At some point Chris planned to implement personal numbers for each repdigit to be tattooed, but Cody didn’t have to know any of that. For now, Chris had to earn his trust, so he went all-in and tossed the envelope right on the bed. It included a sharp laser blade, a numbing gel pack and a scar removal tissue. It was still in development, but was already easy enough to use.

It was dangerous, but Chris had a Curb on him anyway.

“Try it out,” he encouraged Cody, who was just eyeing the envelope cautiously, still unsure of what could it be. “I would say it won’t hurt you, but I’m afraid it is designed to do just that.”

Seemingly reluctant, but (Chris was sure) still impatient, Cody picked the envelope up slowly by the edge. The packaging wasn’t finalized yet, so there were no letters on the outside and no indication of what might be inside. As soon as the contents were tossed out on the sheet in one sharp motion, a mix of understanding and disbelief crossed Cody’s face. 

He kept silence for a little while, touching the laser blade hilt tentatively and kept his eyes down. When Chris was just ready to prompt him again, he suddenly whispered “Why?”

Chris knew it was the time to push the kid into the right direction. He already managed to surprise him and that should have given Hobbs a head-start.

“You know, Cody, when I was a boy, I was always suppressed by my father,” Chris started, looking carefully at Cody and checking for any sign of unacceptance on his face. “He and Stockwell wanted to keep the Eleventh closed down and have people chipped, just because that was the old familiar way and nobody knew or cared for anything better. I, on the other hand–”

“You have unleashed the cops on us and started the which hunt,” Cody mumbled, no anger in his voice, just irritation. He was still toying with the hilt, constantly pressing and releasing the button on it, triggering the blade to appear. “All for a stupid store.”

“Cody–”

“Don’t fucking patronize me,” Cody shot Chris an upward glare, yet he was still squeezing the blade firmly in his hand. His voice was getting colder by the second. “Don’t feed me your sappy stories either. Just tell me the truth. What do you want of me and what’s in it for you?”

 _Fine._ Maybe it was not going to be as easy as Chris thought it would be. He let out a heavy, long sigh, pretending to contemplate things, and leaned back in the uncomfortable chair. They were not going to be disturbed, Drew Boyd on the other side of the door would make sure of that. So, there was more than enough time for theatrics. 

“Okay,” Chris shrugged with a curt smile, trying to appear unaffected. “I want you to make sure Justin stays with me after the hostage exchange. He resents me, but will follow you without a doubt.”

Cody huffed, once again with disdain. “And why the hell would I do that? You said he resents you. So do I.”

“As I said, Cody,” Chris continued evenly. “Stockwell and I did not always see eye to eye. I always wanted an alliance with Eleventh, and he was just way too stuck up. So, he pushed the police into hunting you. Have you heard that he is dead?”

“Once or twice,” Cody muttered reluctantly. His fingertips absentmindedly brushed against his neck, where the Stub was. “What of it?”

Chris waited for the moment when Cody’s eyes met his, and held their long, intent stare. He knew this was going to be the most dangerous thing he’d ever done, and yet he was ready to risk it. All in all, he was sure that the thing he was about to confess will inevitably win Cody over.

So, Chris straightened his back and put his palms on his knees before saying quietly. “I killed him.”

**District 17, 2270.**

The idea to bring Ted into this seemed sudden even for Justin, who came up with it in the first place, not to mention Ted himself. His power ended up being somewhat unique, but strange and barely usable. Not that he ever even tried to get a hold of it anyway; truth told, the sole reason he even cut the Stub out in the first place was to not be laughed at by another bunch of young watchers each time he wanted to come by and mingle at a watch post. 

He was wearing his Stub for over twenty-five years, and the device worked perfectly the whole time. However, as soon as Ted took it out, all the tech around him seemed to have started glitching, breaking, or just shutting down immediately. He didn’t really give it much thought; he was too happy to finally get rid of the Stub. At least that way people would glare at him less.

So now he and Justin were standing in a narrow alleyway that led from Eleventh to Seventeenth, waiting for Brian to appear with a copy of the Curb, just to test it out. Justin didn’t share any other details with Ted, so there was no other way for Ted but to trust him. And Brian, who he had only seen once so far.

The morning was still early, and the first rays of sunshine had barely touched the city rooftops. The air was heavy and so moist that Ted actually felt his hair getting damp. He was fidgeting with nerves and couldn’t help it, all the while Justin leaned his shoulder against the wall of one of the abandoned shops and kept glancing around the corner, probably expecting Brian to appear.

“Calm down, Ted,” Justin’s voice sounded surprisingly soothing. “We’ll just try it. If it doesn’t work, then so be it.”

And then Ted was graced with a warm look over the shoulder and a brief, reassuring smile. Justin always seemed to know how to keep his cool, that was probably why everyone at the Eleventh respected him so much. He was young, yet wise beyond his years and could encourage those who (much like Ted) were hesitant, at the same time keeping those who were way too hotheaded in check.

“Alright,” Ted mumbled under his breath as he heard the distinct whirring sound of an approaching car. 

Soon the sound stopped abruptly, replaced by a buzz of a closing automatic door, later followed by a few confident, fast steps on the asphalt, and finally Brian emerged from around the corner, striding in their direction. His knee-long overcoat was unzipped, revealing lean legs wrapped in a pair of form-fitting black jeans, his shirt tucked neatly into them. This man’s obvious beauty had a strange, dark and dangerous energy. He was impressively tall, and something in his sharp, hawk-like eyes made Ted fidget even more than a moment ago, but as soon as they landed on Justin, a sudden warmth flickered. 

“This is too far from the border,” Brian said nodding a silent greeting at Ted, but mostly eyeing Justin. “Why didn’t you bring Hunter?”

“He and Callie are preparing,” was the reply. Justin smiled shyly, seemingly pleased with the fact that Brian actually cared for his safety and just expressed it. “We’re fine. Did you bring it?”

Brian stopped so close to Justin that it was safe to assume they were more than well acquainted. Ted wondered about them the other night after meeting Brian and couldn’t figure out how in the world did these two manage to get to know one another. Eleventh was usually full of gossip, all you needed to do was listen carefully, and Ted was good at that. Some said Justin had controlled Brian’s mind somehow with his new power, some speculated where said power even came from and very few people were actually able to put two and two together and realize that these two were, in fact, soulmates. Ted wasn’t sure before, but seeing them together answered quite a bit of questions.

“Pulled in a few favors,” Brian smirked as he lifted a small object in his hand. It looked like a tiny box with a round button in the middle. “I don’t have much time. I will probably get ratted out even before they realize this one is missing. So do your thing, and then we all have to go.”

“Yeah,” Justin nodded several times, accepting the item, and was about to turn to Ted. At the very last moment he stopped and gave Brian a thorough worrying look. “Brian?”

Brian just raised an eyebrow at him anticipatingly, to which Justin sighed and finally turned away. Whatever it was he was going to say could wait, since they still had to figure out if their plan would even work in the first place.

Ted tried to collect himself with all his will as he saw Justin approaching with the tiny remote in his hands. He genuinely wanted to help, but wasn’t sure if he would be able to control his power well enough. 

“Just focus on your power, alright?” Justin looked him straight in the eye and Ted for some reason felt like a child in front of him, despite being over fifteen years older. “Try to feel it. And reach for it.”

“Reach for…?” Ted muttered, but tried to do as he was told nonetheless. He did that before, on his own, and usually it never worked. His power seemed to be somewhat of a passive effect rather than a controllable force, so at times he couldn’t even feel it. Now, however, he was trying his best. “Okay. You can go for it.”

He heard Brian stepping closer, and now the three of them were nearly forming a small circle. Justin’s eyes darted from Ted to Brian and back. 

“I’ll try both of you just for good measure,” he warned. He didn’t mention he was going to start with Ted, though. So, a sudden pressure made Ted flinch and widen his eyes. He could almost feel it _physically_ , as if someone was pushing on his skull from the inside of his head. “Seems to work. Relax, I’ll go a little further.”

It was only when Ted let out a deep, long sigh and closed his eyes that he was able to finally feel Justin’s presence and even attempt to creep a little bit in Justin’s mind. As soon as he tried, though, he felt immediate resistance. It was no surprise that Justin was good a controlling his power, so Ted backed out quickly. 

“Are you sure this thing is turned on?” Ted queried just in case as Justin slipped out of his mind, leaving a strange sense of emptiness. 

Justin lifted the remote closer to his eyes, and there was no doubt it indeed worked: a slight buzz and a blue light indicator on it were a clear enough sign. 

Justin’s expression seemed to have changed at the discovery; elated, he turned to Brian and raised his eyebrow, clearly mimicking the man. They both smiled at each other, although Brian’s smile was more of a lopsided smirk, while Justin’s was a full-on grin. He even snickered at one point, right before pushing Brian’s arm playfully. After that, both men turned serious, but the eye contact was still not broken. 

Ted stood silent, realizing that there was definitely way deeper connection between these two than anybody at the Eleventh could be expecting. They were surely talking, yet they didn’t seem to be needing any words for that.

**District 11, 2270.**

_Flash. The car is so fast he can barely see anything behind the window. The city’s lights mashed in a neon blob that just slips, slips, slips by and does not end. Intent, concerned look directed at him, a familiar face. Cody?_

As soon as Justin saw Cody’s face in the vision, it pushed him out almost immediately. He blinked several times, slowly adjusting to reality around him: they were standing below the gate of the southern watch post, evening already descending upon the city. In the distance Justin could hear the never-ending noise of the Seventeenth: whirring cars and audio adverts from every shop. 

Justin inhaled deeply; a sharp stab of cold air felt soberingly painful. Hunter beside him wore a worried expression similar to Cody’s from the vision. “What is it, Justin? Good, bad?”

“I don’t know,” he confessed honestly, but his gut feeling was still telling him something was wrong. Besides, if their plan were to go perfectly well, they weren’t going to use a car. Why were they in one?

Hunter decided not to pry further, so they both just stood there and listened to the wind blowing dust over the empty road. The police along with Hobbs could show up any moment now.

“Everything’s ready,” Callie informed coldly as she approached them and wrapped her fingers firmly around Hunter’s wrist. Justin didn’t really want her to be here, but with her being Hunter’s soulmate the chance of that was really slim. She ended up knowing about the plan anyway. “Are there any last-minute instructions?”

At least she accepted Justin’s authority, which was good enough for him. He frowned for a second, contemplating. “Actually, yeah. I’ll go find Darren and Shanda.”

“Won’t need to go very far, pretty boy,” Shanda singsonged, emerging out of thin air right next to him, closely followed by her brother.

Justin was so used to it he didn’t even feel startled anymore, he just let out a short nervous chuckle instead. “I should’ve known you’re here. Could you guys… watch over Brian, just in case?” he cleared his throat, suddenly uncomfortable with his request. He still didn’t tell them who Brian really was, although that would have probably made the reasoning to guard him easier for the twins to understand. “Stay close to him, alright?”

He could have asked them to split and send one of them over to stalk Hobbs, but felt like it was way too dangerous. Besides, if there was a choice, Justin would definitely pick defending Brian in case if anything happens over attacking Hobbs.

“Sure,” Darren replied with no additional questions and Shanda just shrugged like she didn’t mind. That suited Justin fine, overtime he actually grew to trust the twins a great deal. He nodded at them and turned around to approach Ted and Tracy, whom he asked to stay together no matter what. Tracy was supposed to guard Ted with her shield all the while Ted himself hopefully tried his best to control his power like he did this morning.

“Hey,” Tracy breathed out in a shaky, quiet tone. “You sure we’ll be able to pull this off?”

Ted snickered grimly. “I guess we’ll know soon enough.”

Justin was tempted for a second to just follow Ted and give Tracy a smirk, yet knew better than that. They needed him now, needed to know that at least he was confident enough to follow through with the plan. “We’ll be fine. Keep the barrier over Ted and stay further away. We don’t need any extra attention to it.”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “Yeah, I remember.”

“And Ted,” Justin turned to the fidgeting man for a moment, trying to calm him down. “We’ve tried this, right? And you were brilliant. Just keep it up.”

There were so many things that could go wrong, but in case they do, Ted won’t be able to help anyway, so Justin preferred to reassure him instead of warning him. It seemed like Ted was about to respond, yet was interrupted by a startle from Hunter suddenly jumping right between them.

“Whoops,” Hunter drawled unapologetically. Sometimes Justin truly envied his devil-may-care attitude. “I scouted a little. They’re almost here. So,” he reached behind his back and pulled a gun from under the belt of his jeans. Justin vaguely remembered him obtaining it from one of the officers back at the fight, but was still speechless when Hunter pressed it against his chest, waiting for Justin to grab it. “In case if shit goes south, I want you to have this.”

Justin frowned yet again, a stern look crossing his face. “Weren’t you supposed to guard the hostages with it?”

Hunter glanced quickly over to three officers that were now under Callie’s watchful eye, standing with their backs against the gate. “Come on, man. I have Callie, and besides, the dudes are scared shitless as it is. Take it.”

Justin sighed, but ended up accepting the gun reluctantly, tucking it firmly under his own belt. The shirt he wore should cover it so that the weapon would be unnoticed. “Thanks, I guess.”

Hunter didn’t have any time to reply because at this very moment they heard a rustling sound of the tires. Justin returned to his initial position in front of everyone, right next to Daphne, who seemed to be a little more collected than everyone else, probably knowing that they always had a second chance as long as she could use her power. 

“We’ll be fine,” she mouthed to Justin when the cars in front of them halted and squeezed his wrist briefly. 

There were only two vehicles: one was already familiar, sleek and glistening in neon lights as Brian parked it right in the middle of the road. The other one stopped a little further away, but a particular passenger seemed eager to get out. Chris Hobbs stepped out of the car, with a bulky, menacing man walking right behind his shoulder, and seemed to have absolutely no fear approaching as close as he did.

Shanda stood so close Justin could hear her whispering sardonically. “Would you look at what the cat dragged in.”

Chris eyed everyone slowly, eyes glinting with content. “Evening, ladies and gentlemen.”

Justin heard tiny, careful steps moving further away from him as the twins passed to walk up to Brian, who had just now left his car along with Chief and Michael.

“Where is he?” surprisingly, it was Daphne who spoke first. She already held her main hand up in the air, and Justin smothered the need to grab her wrist and lower it not to cause any suspicious. “And what are you doing here?”

Brian did tell them about the Curb, yet didn't mention that Chris himself was going to attend the exchange. Justin assumed that the Chief didn't want him to know about this particular detail.

Hunter didn’t need any prompting to chime in right after Daphne. “Yeah. Whatever the fuck brought you here?”

Hobbs clicked his tongue in disappointment and Justin already hated him for the theatrics. “Merely supervising the exchange, making sure everything goes as planned. You know, Mayor’s business.”

“We need to see Cody,” Justin asked coldly, folding his arms across his chest. 

Chris frowned slightly and Justin instantly knew that he was already aware. There was no way to tell if he understood exactly what was wrong, but by this time all of them would have noticed their powers missing, and since they haven’t yet, it was clear Hobbs’s plan wasn’t working.

Justin was begging over in over in his head for Ted and Tracy not to look too suspicious or even just nervous. He wished he could have entered Ted’s mind right now, but there was way too much to focus on already, and they didn’t even have eye contact. Brian, on the other hand, standing face to face with Justin, could see Ted perfectly, so Justin decided to risk it.

“Let them see the boy, Chris,” Chief said as she approached closer, and at that moment Justin finally had enough distraction to try and creep into Brian’s mind. “That won’t do any harm.”

It was difficult. Justin could feel that Brian wasn’t resisting, in fact, it even appeared like he was trying to help, because the image of Ted standing behind him right next to the gate kept flashing before his eyes, but only for a split of second each time. Yet, the connection seemed to be so weak that Justin couldn’t even speak through it, although he tried a few times.

Ted didn’t look good. Tracy, holding a thin invisible barrier over him, didn’t look good either. They both looked exactly like someone who was trying their best not to seem suspicious all the while making it even worse for themselves. 

“Look,” Daphne began after it became apparent that Chris wasn’t going to let Cody out of the car. “All we want is to exchange now and be left alone after. Just take your people and go.”

Hobbs understood, there was no way he could still be oblivious to the fact of his tech not working at all. Justin figured he wouldn’t let it on, but couldn’t imagine how exactly would he react.

It was quiet. So, so quiet that Justin could swear he heard Chris’s lips stretch into a predatory smile. “Oh, I intend to. How about I take some of your people along?”

And then it all broke into complete chaos, because Chris pulled out a gun from a hidden pocket in his jacket. Nobody had any time to think at what to do before he released several rounds in the air, buying himself a moment, – in a second Justin realized he did it on purpose, to distract Tracy – and finally shot at Ted. 

Time seemed to run so much slower now, because Justin actually managed to register three things happening at once: Brian stepping towards him (and immediately being cut off by the tall bulky bodyguard), the twins re-emerging from their invisible states, and last, but not least, a cold heavy feeling of a gun barrel pressed against his forehead. 

“Don’t fucking move a step,” Chris growled, clicking the gun’s safety off. “All of you.”

If a pulled out gun didn’t make a point, the clear click of the safety going off certainly did. Everyone fell dead silent, and the only sound Justin could hear was Tracy’s whimpering behind his back. Judging by the intensity of it, Ted might not make it.

Justin himself felt surprisingly calm at the moment. He met Chris’s eyes that were full of menacing glee and stared at him, determined. “What is it that you want, Chris?”

“That’s more like it. Should have been your first question,” Hobbs actually smiled this time, but pressed the gun tighter against Justin’s forehead. “The officers are coming with the police. And you, Mr. Taylor, are coming with me. If you won’t, you might as well follow your friend’s example and take a bullet now. Objections?” He turned around, looking at everyone with a mock-anticipating expression. Brian appeared like he was about to reach for his own gun, yet Chris’s bodyguard seemed to keep a good eye on him. “None? I thought so. Now move, Cody’s waiting.”

His legs almost completely numb, Justin made his first step towards the car. He was led all the way with a gun in his face, while Hobbs’s bodyguard ensured no one else had any time to draw their weapons and stop them.


	20. The Road Taken

**District 11, 2270.**

The time had stopped. Everything seemed to be happening in slow-motion; as if a thick, blurry haze was draped over the reality. The first thing Brian managed to hear was the screeching of the tires: Chris’s car with Justin in it took off, speeding up in the unknown direction.

And then the rest of the sounds washed over Brian all at once, like a chaotic waterfall.

There was whimpering, sobbing and yelling of the shield girl, Tracy. “No-no-no, _Ted!”_

Hunter hissing in desperation. “You’ve got to do _something,_ Daph!”

And Daphne with a defensive, yet still apologetic look on her face. “I can’t! Not anymore! Don’t you think I haven’t tried?”

Brian's head was empty and never in his life had he felt as useless as he did now. It seemed to be the time to act, but Brian’s limbs were so heavy he could barely move. All he could do was just stand there, thinking about Justin and the distance between them that was increasing rapidly by the second. Somewhere at the back of his mind he caught a passing thought: if any of the kids would have wanted to rat him out, now was the perfect time.

“We have to get him to Debbie and Vic,” said Callie, the aggressive brunette girl Brian remembered since his first visit here. She sounded relatively calm compared to the others. “Otherwise he’s lost.”

Standing closest to Brian, Daphne gave him a pleading look. “Could we maybe have a truce for a little bit? Just so Hunter could port Ted and get him some help.”

Brian couldn’t get himself to speak. He kept thinking of Justin in Hobbs’s car and all the things that could go wrong. It was strange, but even when Brian realized that it wasn’t himself he was scared for, he didn’t even flinch. It didn’t hit him like a shocking discovery, at least not right now. Maybe it just didn’t have time to sink in yet. 

All of sudden Michael spoke up. “Could we do that, Chief? I know the ambulance is on the way, but what if he doesn’t make it?”

Brian looked over in Ted’s direction, but the picture didn’t change much from the last time he checked: a couple of officers assigned by Horvath were still kneeling beside him with first-aid kits, and it was still unknown if they had even managed to fish out the bullet by now. Hobbs had used an old-fashioned gun, knowing full well it wouldn’t be affected by Ted’s power. The shot seemed to be careless and lacking any calculation; Chris most likely didn’t care at all if the guy would live or die after. 

“How about we go back to hating each other, say, tomorrow?” Hunter chimed in, stepping closer. He gave Ted a quick anxious look over his shoulder. “He really doesn’t have much time.”

Brian had absolutely no control over the situation and hated it. All he could do was to beg the Chief and he for sure was not about to do that. He just glanced at Horvath silently, crossing his arms on his chest as he leaned his back against one of the police vans. Inside were the three hostages wrapped in blankets, getting ready for their drive back under the Dome.

“I’m sure the ambulance unit is going as fast as they can,” Horvath answered firmly. “Along with police reinforcements to deal with whatever mess this district has become.”

“Fuck that!” Hunter exclaimed immediately, but was dragged away by Callie. Probably she was scared of him getting arrested then and there. 

“You didn’t tell us there were going to be arrests,” Michael muttered, frowning. 

Horvath simply shrugged. “No arrests. Not for now, at least. We will just clear the streets and put back the surveillance until we figure out how and where to place Curbs.”

Brian wasn’t aware of that, and this somehow made him even more irritated. Turned out, Horvath didn’t trust him with everything after all. He quickly looked at Daphne that still stood beside them, and she kept glancing at her watch over and over again. Same watch Brian saw on the tape. 

Now it all seemed like it happened eons ago. 

“Alright,” Michael huffed, and Brian was yet again surprised by his persistence. “But we can still save a life, Chief. All we need is just turn the Curbs off for a bit to let them–”

Horvath growled in annoyance. “Let them escape?”

As soon as Michael gasped for air to answer, one of the hostage officers approached behind his shoulder. The man appeared to be nearly as old as Horvath, and wore a tired, but determined expression on his face. Before Michael could say anything at all, a quiet, yet perfectly audible and strangely confident sentence came out of his mouth. “We can’t trust Kinney.”

Everyone went silent. Brian raised his eyebrow at the man before turning his glance to Horvath, waiting for his reaction. A string of hasty theories rushed through his mind: somehow the hostages managed to see him with Justin? Or someone told them? Maybe someone was spying?

To Chief’s credit, he didn’t seem overly surprised and just let out an exhausted sigh, as if nothing tonight could possibly go any worse. “Elaborate?”

“Just… just bear with me, alright? The Taylor kid has some kind of… mind reading power thing,” without even caring to introduce himself, the man said. “He was trying to pry… into my head. For information about Bell. And something distracted him, so somehow…” he stuttered, and Brian knew it was his moment to smirk mockingly just to make him less confident. That seemed to work, because the man’s last words came out as a faltered whisper. “Somehow I ended up seeing his memories. And Lieutenant, he was… in them. With the kid… and they were…”

Brian scoffed; a smirk still settled on his lips. “Well if it isn’t a nice story, how long did it take you to make it up?”

Brian regretted the words as soon as he said them. Not because he noticed Horvath actually contemplating and seemingly thinking over what the man had said, but because he was tired of pretending. With each passing second the anger inside of him grew stronger, he hated not being in control and sticking to his image was no longer possible, simply because Brian admitted to be many things, but not a coward. Of course, he was never inclined to act heroic, either. 

But it was no longer just about him. Maybe, it was the longing kicking in once again. Maybe Justin was too far away for Brian to think straight. 

Michael was quick to back his friend up. “That’s bullshit! You aren’t going to believe it, Chief, are you?”

It was harder and harder to keep himself calm and collected for Brian. He bit his thumb, on the outside appearing like his usual nonchalant self, but the feeling of something heavy was brewing inside him, ready to spill. Michael must have felt it too, since he kept throwing him short worried glances.

“Kip told me you’ve asked him to enter my office yesterday,” Horvath began quietly, now sounding almost hesitant. “To pick up one of the Curbs stored there. I didn’t think much of it, thought you just wanted to get a good look.” 

Brian knew Kip was going to rat him out sooner or later, he just didn’t anticipate _these_ circumstances to accompany that. Horvath was an old, experienced cop, so the thing he said next really didn’t surprise Brian one bit. “And right after that, we have this guy shielded separately at the exchange. Isn’t that a little _too_ convenient, Lieutenant?” 

With a wide-eyed _‘what the hell are we going to do’_ look from Michael, Brian finally snapped. It’s not like he could keep the game going anyway, he made his choice way too long ago, even if he didn’t know it back then. He detested the mere prospect of having to make up excuses for himself right now, so he simply pushed off of the car he was leaning against and looked at Horvath with a yet another smirk.

“I’ll leave it for you to figure out, Chief,” he said simply before turning his body completely away from the shocked officers and looking at Hunter. “Hey, jumper!”

The kid approached immediately, as if on cue. Only now did Brian notice that his expression, much like Daphne’s, was that of a person ready for whatever improv Brian had in mind. They were probably waiting, he thought, and smiled inwardly as he continued: “If we drive fast enough and far enough from here, will you be able to take Ted wherever he needs to be?”

Hunter fidgeted a little under all the heavy glances and finally shrugged. “Worth a try.”

Brian just nodded and tapped his wrist twice slightly to make his car doors slide open. “Carry him in, then.”

Along with Michael’s sharp gasp followed a few raised guns, aiming at Brian. However, he was absolutely sure he knew Horvath well enough. Chief wasn’t going to turn this into a bloodbath, even if it meant letting them all go.

“Just what _the hell_ do you think you’re doing, Kinney?” Horvath growled, lifting his opened palm in the air and gesturing for officers to hold their fire. 

Brian contemplated just yanking his belt and a badge off to make a point, but eventually decided against it, all the while Hunter, Callie and the curly invisible kid carried Ted slowly inside his car. “Hopefully, the right thing.”

At the corner of his eye Brian managed to notice Shanda leading Tracy away, first out of sight of the police and eventually behind the gate. He hoped the rest of them were going to fit in the car, since staying was not an option. 

“Brian…” Michael called tentatively, and Brian wasn’t having any of it, not right now at least.

“Yeah, I know, Michael,” he cut his friend off, stepping towards the car without much care about the guns aiming at him. “Don’t start.”

Michael sighed in slight irritation and with his next words sounded probably the most confident Brian had ever heard him. “I’m going with you.”

**District 29, Crescent, 2270.**

“Don’t you understand, Justin?” Cody exclaimed at the backseat of the car. “He’s got your sister. She’s helping him. He killed the May–”

“He brainwashed you,” Justin interjected quietly, his tone cold and even. He still couldn’t believe that Cody of all people would possibly fall for Chris’s bullshit, and now, being driven further away from Brian, Justin felt more and more alone, even with one of his closest friends sitting beside him. 

Justin often thought about this moment. Imagined meeting Cody after all this time, imagined apologizing to him for leaving him behind, even if it was involuntarily. Imagined hugging him, welcoming him back, showing him what the Eleventh has become while he was away. Imagined making him proud. But now, after he was shoved at the backseat of Chris’s car next to Cody, all they did was exchange a couple of anxious glances and nothing more. Justin also didn’t feel like asking for forgiveness anymore.

Chris’s bodyguard (Cody called him Drew once) quickly made sure that Hunter’s gun was out from under Justin’s belt even before entering the car.

“He confessed it himself,” Cody continued, boring his eyes into Justin. They were separated from the front seat only by a see-through partition, but somehow Cody still felt safe to discuss Chris. “He also said Molly helped. Why would she help him, Justin? She probably knew what was best for you.”

Molly. She was probably the only reason Justin didn’t put up much of a fight while being led away. At least not as much as he could have. He knew she probably was with Chris, but that wasn’t certain. It also wasn’t certain that Chris would let them see each other, but even the smallest chance of that Justin was willing to take. 

Nonetheless, Justin huffed angrily. “That’s the biggest crock of shit I’ve ever heard from you, Cody.”

Chris confessing didn’t shock Justin at all. Even if Cody wouldn’t have been convinced to align with Hobbs, what could one repdigit really do? Surely, he could tell the police, but all the suspicion Chris was already under actually played out in his favor this time. Cops wouldn’t have been surprised and probably wouldn’t have believed Cody either. 

“I’m not saying he’s perfect,” Cody still kept at it, even though Justin didn’t once look him in the eye, trying to show that he couldn’t care less for Cody’s opinion on Hobbs. “But don’t you think he would have went as far as killing Stockwell just to–”

“Just to be the Mayor? Yeah, sounds about right to me,” Justin shot back sardonically. He was still angry. He knew the Curbs that Chris and Drew carried were still active, so the feeling of a pending vision unable to find release in his head hurt. He inhaled deeply, trying to ease the pain. “If he is such an ally of Eleventh, Cody, how come he didn’t try and explain himself today? Why did he threaten me instead of talking? Why the fuck did he kidnap me?”

“You wouldn’t have come willingly! Listen,” Cody reached for Justin’s hand; a cold familiar grip squeezing his palm actually made Justin feel a little better. “Remember what I told you, Justin? Look at me.”

Justin turned his head towards Cody reluctantly, for the first time actually taking a good long look at him. Cody lost a lot of weight during his recovery and his ghostly-pale face wore an almost desperate expression as the neon lights slipping by behind the window casted dim blue and orange shadows over it. Maybe he was just too tired to fight, Justin thought. Maybe not trusting anyone has taken it’s tall on him finally, and now he was ready to grasp onto any opportunity to finish what they all have started.

Cody waited for quite a while for an answer, but Justin just glared at him. Eventually, he wanted to jerk his hand away, but Cody felt that and put his other palm over it in haste. “I told you that I will never let anything happen to you, and I stand by that. I’d rather die than endanger you, Justin. You know me.”

Something at the very bottom of his eyes looked way too familiar to Justin. A flicker of same old confident Cody who was ready to tear anyone who threatened his friends apart, never trusted promises from strangers, no matter how generous they were, and always stayed true to himself. Almost as if he was trying to tell Justin something with no words involved, Cody leaned in and smiled softly. Justin wanted to believe that maybe, just maybe Cody had a plan after all and all of this was just an act, yet he was disappointed by people enough times in his life to not get his hopes up too high. 

So, he pulled his hand out of Cody’s grip (it took way more effort than he anticipated), and gave his friend a solemn glare. “Do I really?”

And then, before Cody could say anything else, the car slowed down to eventually pull up in front of a large, luxurious mansion. The building was tall, wide, consisted mostly out of glass and looked a little too pretentious for Justin’s taste. At this time of evening it glistened, lit up by all the lights reflecting on it in the thickening darkness. No doubt it was full of tech that would prevent any powers whatsoever from being used.

“Shall I ask for Drew to _escort_ you, Mr. Taylor?” he heard Chris’s voice and at the same very moment the door near him slid open. “Or are you civilized enough to walk by yourself without causing a scene?”

Justin wanted to threaten him. He wanted to scream and put up a fight and be defiant, but he had to smother of all these feelings as soon as he heard Cody whisper. It was so quiet Justin doubted he would have even made out what the words were if he wouldn’t have seen Cody mouth them.

_“Trust me.”_

Despite Justin’s earlier judgement, these words instilled hope within him that he didn’t know he was capable of feeling. He once again saw Cody for what he was: a loyal friend and a fellow rebellion leader, whom was simply left to his own devices for way too long and had to find a way out by himself. How exactly did the plan work in Cody’s head was still unknown to Justin, yet he just silently got out of the car, for the first time for very long doing exactly what Cody had asked him. Trusting him.

“Great,” Chris commented with a content smirk before turning around and heading towards the entrance. “I know we got off on the wrong foot, Justin, but I’m sure that can be remedied. After all, even Mr. Bell here saw reason. Is that right, Cody?”

Cody paced up and threw a quick look over his shoulder at Justin, who was followed closely by Drew. “Sure.”

They went in, and Justin (despite knowing for sure that it wasn’t going to work) tried his hardest to prompt the vision he felt nearing in the car. To no avail. Inside the building looked just as lavish as on the outside. Justin would never have taken Chris for someone with good taste in design, yet his place was anything but tacky. It was even modest in its own, unique and classy way.

Chris stopped in the middle of a spacious hallway, right beneath the wide staircase that led upstairs. “I’m afraid I will have to keep you both separately for now. However, I’m sure you will be delighted to know that your sister is also here, Justin. And, depends on how good you are, you might be able to meet her soon.”

 _How good he is?_ Justin arched a dubious eyebrow, powerless to understand anything at this point. He wanted clarity more than anything, especially now, when both Chris and Cody were behaving the way they were. “What am I, nine?” 

“No reason to get snarky,” Chris replied immediately as he pulled a small holo-pad out of his pocked and tapped a few buttons. “I’ll get Emmett to show you to your room. Meanwhile, me and Mr. Bell have a couple of things to discuss.” 

Justin huffed in disbelief and gave Cody a silent disapproving glance. For a second it seemed to him like Cody actually looked guilty, but that suspicion was quickly suppressed by the overwhelming anger growing in Justin’s chest, with a slight mix of longing in it. He thought of Brian.

“If you think that I’m going to just obediently live in _my room,”_ making an air quote with his voice instead of his fingers, said Justin, “under the same roof with you like one big happy family, think again. I’m getting out of here and I’m taking my sister with me. If not today, then tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then the day after. Mark my fucking word, Chris.”

Hobbs listened silently with a soft smile on his face. If Justin didn’t know any better, he could have called his expression friendly. Nobody in the room dared to say a word while Chris stepped closer, stopping inches away from Justin, and stared at him with a clear menacing glee in his eyes.

“I’m a civilized man, Justin,” he began evenly. At the corner of his eye Justin could see Cody gritting his teeth. “But I advise strongly against pushing my buttons. If you keep on trying, you might find out what happens when I lose my patience. And not just to you.”

The tension in the room was so thick it could almost be cut with a knife. In a complete, heavy silence, a tall grey-eyed man descended from the stairs, halting his movements halfway through the staircase.

“I believe you needed my assistance, Mr. Hobbs?” he said calmly with a soft, melodic voice.

Chris flexed his jaw, still looking at Justin for a moment longer, and then finally turned away. “I believe I did.”


	21. Interim

**District 11, 2270.**

“I think we’re far enough to try,” Daphne said hesitantly, throwing a hopeful look at Hunter. “Aren’t we?”

The four of them miraculously squeezed into the backseat: Ted’s head on Daphne’s lap, and his feet on Hunter’s, with the curly kid (it appeared his name was Darren) snuggled right next to them. Michael took his usual place on the passenger seat and kept quiet all the way. 

They’ve stopped at the western watch post while it was still free of the police so that Daphne could share the news and order for everyone to retreat back to Hope. Obviously, not all the civilians could do that, simply because some of them didn’t have a car or a power to get there in time. At least that was what Brian gathered from bits and pieces of the conversations he could hear.

They didn’t stand a chance at a fight, not with Curbs involved, and they all understood that.

Hunter peered into the darkness behind the window, trying to figure out where they were. Brian was driving fast, and there weren’t any lights at the abandoned area, so it took quite a while for him to answer. “Yeah, let’s give it a shot,” he leaned ahead, putting his hand on the driver’s seat. “Hey, can you stop for a bit? Can’t risk jumping out of a moving car.”

Brian’s head seemed completely empty, so he just silently pulled over, noticing that at this point Ted wasn’t moaning anymore which was probably a bad sign. Brian didn’t care for the guy much, Ted was simply the last straw that caused him to drop his law-obedient cop façade. So far, Brian didn’t regret it.

Or maybe it just hasn’t sunk in yet.

“Okay,” Hunter sighed, and Brian saw him in the rear-view mirror, looking at Ted intently. “You hold on, buddy. Let’s get you out of here.”

He made one more deep inhale to brace himself, then grabbed Ted’s body across the waist and with a light, barely audible sound they both were completely gone from the car. Both Daphne and Darren sighed with relief soon after, while Brian turned to inspect the backseat. 

It looked far worse than that time when Justin’s nosebleed messed it up, but it was too late to dwell on it now anyway.

“Thank God that worked,” Daphne said, hiding her face in her palms while leaning back into the seat, and only now letting everyone notice how tired and scared she’s been this whole time.

Michael cleared his throat after the long silence and finally spoke up. “At least now we know these things have a range of effect or something.”

“I’m sorry, but… why do _you_ care?” Darren raised an eyebrow at Michael and scooted over to Daphne, wrapping a comforting hand around her shoulders. “I get _him_ , but you?” 

At the word ‘him’ Darren shot his eyes quickly towards Brian to demonstrate that it was indeed who he meant. Brian came to a quick conclusion that word travelled fast at the Eleventh, even if neither he nor Justin planned for it to.

Michael crossed his arms on his chest and immediately looked defensive. “Brian is my friend! As a matter of fact, I knew about Taylor and him probably for way longer than you did.”

“Now, now, girls. Cut the catfight,” Brian drawled, even at this moment managing to find the strength for being sardonic. In a second, however, he was back to his serious self while looking Darren right in the eyes through the mirror. “It’s not like there is a line of people wanting to help you, so I wouldn’t be questioning him if I were you.”

Daphne seemed to have calmed down, although her eyes were still red and had a somewhat desperate look in them. She shrugged. “Beggars can’t be choosers, Darren.”

Darren gave Michael a long, studying stare and finally huffed. “Whatever. I guess you’re right.”

The district around them was empty, thick and heavy darkness draped over it. Brian spent a few minutes just staring at the road ahead through the windshield, and nobody in the car dared to question him for taking his time. He was surprised that Michael had the balls to oppose Horvath at all, but grateful for him tagging along. Yet, instead of assurance and confidence he just felt worried, since now he also had Michael to watch over. Not to mention Michael had probably lost his job at this point, along with Brian.

Just as Brian thought that, the AI in the car lit up the dashboard, and the melodic female voice announced: “A vehicle approaching. It’s in order to move out of the way, Lieutenant.” 

The roads here were narrow, so the suggestion didn’t surprise Brian. What did was the fact that the AI was still active and still addressed him by his rank. Seemed like Horvath didn’t have enough time to let the tech department know that Brian and Michael had gone rogue and needed their ranks stripped.

Michael, seemingly thinking the same thing, gave him a quick disbelieving glance. “Does that mean I’m still in the force, too?”

“Only technically,” Brian shrugged, not wanting to discuss it any longer. He turned to Daphne. “People drive through here often?” 

“No. So it can only be Ben, going to pick up whoever he can from the district,” she said matter-of-factly, and it took Brian a second to remember the name.

“Ben Bruckner?” he clarified, exchanging a look with Michael. “The one who gave you the memory card?”

Daphne swallowed hard, probably saddened by the reminder of the memory card and the events linked to it, since they involved Justin. Darren waited a couple of seconds and finally replied for her. “Yeah. Shanda called him, no doubt. I don’t know what she told him, though, so we can wait for him to let him know what’s really going on.”

Brian pressed his tongue into his cheek, contemplating what should they do next. He had to get to Justin at some point. Brian had no idea what Chris had planned for his soulmate, but even if his death wasn’t in the prospect, Brian still wanted to get him out of there. The longing that already hit him was far too familiar, and he didn’t want for it to get any worse. And apart from that, just the thought of holding Justin in his arms again, inhaling his smell, made Brian’s chest ache. He had to get Justin out, period.

“A vehicle approaching,” repeated the AI. “ETA: two minutes.”

“What do we tell him?” Darren looked at Daphne with a lost expression on his face. “To stay and fight?”

“You don’t stand a chance,” Brian interjected immediately. “Both Curbs and drones are going to be all over the district before you know it. Chief might not condone violence, but as far as Hobbs is involved, no cop is going to lift a finger to stop it.”

Daphne nodded several times as she let out a ragged breath in attempts to compose herself. “I agree with Brian. We have to get as many people out of there as we can.” 

And then the yellow headlights flashed in front of them, blinding Brian for a split of second. He started the engine again, driving closer to the side of the road to give way, but not actually leaving. Daphne had probably recognized the car at this point and hurried out as soon as Brian stopped again, finally distracted from the fact that Justin was kidnapped. Now she had something else to be occupied with rather than to be sad and it seemingly made her more composed.  
Brian decided to leave the car as well, pulling a cigarette out of his jean’s pocket. For someone who had just announced his alliance with Eleventh he felt relatively calm.

Michael followed him out of the car and now stood behind his shoulder. “How do you think this will end?”

“Honestly? No idea,” Brian shrugged. He didn’t lie, since he hasn’t given it much thought after leaving Horvath and his troops behind. All he cared about was getting Justin out of Hobbs’s grip. “We’re fucked either way, sarge. Don’t bother.”

“You know, LT,” Michael said and Brian could hear a soft smile settling on his lips. “I’m still proud of you.”

Brian chuckled and exhaled a cloud of thick smoke. “You’ve got some balls yourself.”

Michael didn’t have time to answer. A large, truck-like car finally pulled up right in front of them and a well-built hunky man stepped out after the driver’s door slid open. Brian gave him a quick once-over, and decided that Ben was definitely handsome. That thought, however, was all Brian contented himself with. Somehow, ever since meeting Justin Taylor, Brian was ruined for other men, and only figured it out just recently. Probably because both of them had too much on their plate to think about it. 

“Daphne!” the man exclaimed and hurried to lock Daphne into a bear hug. “What’s going on? Shanda only said to get…”

He got quiet as he let Daphne go and looked around in confusion until the moment his eyes locked with Michael's. Both of the car’s headlights seemed to shine brighter and the air thickened in an all too familiar way as Michael stepped tentatively towards Ben. All Brian could do was just shake his head in a silent amusement.

It was just his and Michael’s luck to have repdigits for soulmates.

“Hey,” Michael said quietly, stretching his hand out for a handshake. “I’m Michael.”

Darren suddenly emerged behind Brian’s shoulder, taking Michael’s place. “Well isn’t that awkward,” he whispered. 

It was, and Brian cringed a little inwardly thinking that three years ago he must have looked somewheat the same way. On second thought, he never let his feelings show much, so maybe it wasn’t that awkward after all.

“I’m–”

“I know. You’re Ben, right?” 

“Yeah.”

They all knew they had a job to do, yet somehow Michael and Ben finding each other in the middle of all that was going on brought a little light into the situation. So, they stood there on the empty road, surrounded by nothing but the abandoned eerie buildings, and no one had the guts to tell Michael and Ben to hurry up. It occurred to Brian that he will probably be the one to speak up first, since neither Daphne nor Darren seemed like they would dare to intervene. He was fine with that.

He will just give them another moment, he thought as he took the last drag of his cigarette.

**District 29, Crescent, 2270.**

Justin was left alone. He wasn’t sure how long of a time had passed at this point, and didn’t bother trying to figure out. He tried to prompt a vision once again and it didn’t work. He tried to push the door aside and get out, but obviously that ended up pointless too. He walked all around the room and shouted for Chris, but got no response. 

Eventually, after pacing back and forth for what seemed like forever, Justin finally gave up. All of a sudden, he felt absolutely exhausted and sank down against the wall, now sitting on the floor with his legs outstretched. There was nothing left to do but to think about the Eleventh and all his friends he left yet again, against his own will. And Ted. 

Justin couldn’t help but to chuckle bitterly: for the second time he was kidnapped, not knowing if a person he left behind was even alive or not. Although, being kidnapped by Brian turned out far more pleasant than this.

 _Brian._ The mere thought about his soulmate being left in danger filled Justin with unbearable anxiety. The bright side of it was: they were both still alive. Sadly, that just about covered all the good news for now. 

Justin shivered at the sound of security locks crinkle. It was probably Chris, or Drew, or even Cody, he thought. He braced himself for whatever was going to come, trying to look defiant instead of dead tired. Honestly, sometimes he thought as if it was easier just to give up altogether. Yet, he would never have admitted it to anyone, even himself.

He was prepared for anything but the head of bright blond locks to tentatively peek inside the room. It took him, maybe, a whole half a minute to realize he was looking at none other than his sister right now, and her own eyes were focused on him.

She stepped inside the room and halted in front of him, hesitantly stretching her thin arm towards him. “Hey.”

Justin felt like a complete idiot, but no words came to mind. So, he just took her hand and let her pull him up. “Hey, Molly.”

And before they both knew it, they were tangled in a warm, big hug. Molly’s hair smelled like something flowery and so familiar, and Justin slowly figured out that it was something from their childhood, maybe mom’s expensive shampoo or perfume. He held his sister for a long, long while, and she didn’t seem to mind as she just stood there, her fingers clutched into his shoulders. 

Justin didn’t know how long would they have hugged if it wasn’t for the sound of someone’s throat being cleared. As soon as he heard it, he abruptly let go, finally getting his chance to get a good look at Molly (not before he tossed a quick glance behind her shoulder and saw a seemingly harmless brunette woman, just waiting for them to be done). 

“You look grown up,” Justin said, and that was true. Last time he saw Molly in reality and not in a vision, she was not older than a year, and now she was a teenager. She was only slightly shorter than him, slim and delicate, with long locks of golden hair falling on her shoulders and the same shade of blue eyes Justin and their mother had.

“You too,” Molly gave him a toothy smile and squealed a little before tossing her arms over his neck once again, hugging him briefly. “Anyway, we don’t have much time. Chris has gone out somewhere,” she said as she let go and turned to the woman in the doorway.

“We don’t know for how long,” the brunette confirmed as she stepped inside the room and slid the door behind her. She stretched her hand towards Justin. “My name is Melanie.”

“Melanie’s been taking care of me,” Molly explained, seemingly trusting the woman a great deal. “If it wasn’t for her I wouldn’t have even found you here.”

So far, nothing made any sense, but Justin was sure neither Molly nor Melanie were hostile, so he awkwardly returned the handshake. “Justin. I guess thanks are in order?” he managed a slight smile.

“Wouldn’t hurt,” Melanie shrugged and as soon Justin nodded with a ‘thank you’, suddenly became way more serious and focused. “I’m here to let you out, Justin. And I mean both of you. I’ll lead you to my car and you can take it, it has an AI installed in case you don’t have a license. You’ll have to leave Zion as soon as you can, because Chris will try to pursue you. The south exit from under the Dome is not guarded that well, since it’s the furthest one from the Eleventh–”

She was explaining rapidly, trying to fit as many words as she could in one breath. Justin quickly realized he wasn’t having any of it, though. “Wait, wait, wait. I can’t leave,” he lifted both of his opened palms at Melanie, effectively stopping the flood of words. “I have to stop Hobbs. The entire district is depending on me, I can’t just bail on them.”

“I told you that would happen,” Molly whispered as her eyes darted between Justin and Melanie helplessly. 

“Listen, Justin,” Melanie looked at him sternly, her deep brown eyes determined. “If you don’t care about yourself, think of Molly. She is not safe in–”

“As long as we go along with the system, there is _nowhere_ she will be safe!” Justin snapped and raised his voice without even realizing it. “Don’t you understand? If we run away, we will just play into the idea that we’re criminals and did something wrong. Well, I did _nothing_ wrong. And I refuse to run away.”

He tried to calm himself down, but the fact that his only chance of escaping this place came with a condition of leaving the city almost made him desperate. In any event, he wasn’t about to accept, so he just stepped away, further from Molly and Melanie, and added: “If it means staying here, I will.”

Melanie sighed helplessly as she rubbed her forehead. Suddenly, Molly chimed in. “I told you it’s better to help Justin finish the fight, Melanie. Every single vision I saw about him showed that he wouldn’t back down and run. So how about you just tell me whatever it was you’ve been planning to tell?”

Still, it didn’t make any damned sense at all, but Justin was grateful for his sister backing him up. For several long moments complete silence took over. Justin let his mind switch off for a second as his glance floated across the room, not focusing on anything specific. The room was lit dimly by the thin luminescent glass above the bed, and just by looking at the bed itself Justin suddenly realized how tired he was once again.

“Okay. Fine,” Melanie agreed at last, and gave both Taylors a long, serious look. “There was something I’ve found out recently, but I wasn’t about to share it, not if there was still any other option,” the woman paced towards the bad and back, while Justin was tracking her thin figure impatiently. “You know the Curbs, right? Each has its own switch, for the user. In case you fight a cop carrying a Curb, that fact is useless for you, since to switch the remote off you will have to physically obtain it first.”

Justin began to understand this was something important, so he crossed his arms on his chest and furrowed his eyebrows. “I’ll probably get shot trying.”

“Correct,” Melanie continued: “However, there is an option to shut them all down remotely. Chris was discussing it over the phone with one of his engineers. The control panel is somewhere in Zion, but I don’t know the address. I just know it’s not in this house.”

Justin’s face softened with relief at the mere thought of just having the opportunity to finally end it all. He was ready to fight, he had always been, even though, unlike Cody, he only considered it their last option. Now, however, there was no more options left. Chris and the police will inevitably take over the Eleventh, and it will be back to square one, only this time with no hope of ever becoming independent. 

Justin bit the inside of his cheek, thinking. “Do you know where his office is? Maybe if I manage to go through his files, I’ll find something.”

Molly seemed distressed and bit her lip nervously, giving Melanie a worried look. Melanie on the other hand seemed calmer now, having finally shared her discovery with someone. She reached into the inner pocket of her jacket and pulled out a thin see-though key-card, tossing it at Justin. “This will get you anywhere I can go. Doubt it will actually work on his office, but worth a try. From what I heard it’s on the last floor,” she turned over to Molly. “And you are not going.”

Justin heard his sister huff indignantly. “I’m not letting Justin go alone!”

“Molly–”

“Listen,” Justin interjected, giving his sister a caring look. He stepped a little closer and cupped his palms around her shoulders. “I’ll try to be as fast as I can. And it will be way easier for me knowing that you’re safe here with Melanie. Okay?”

Molly appeared to think it over, still chewing on her bottom lip. She reminded Justin a lot of their mother, he thought. “Okay. But you _are_ taking me with you when you leave, right?”

“Of course,” Justin assured her, still squeezing her shoulders.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

He planted a soft kiss on his sister’s forehead, whispered another ‘thank you’ to Melanie and finally was out of the room and into the narrow hallway. The mansion was big enough for him not to get caught, but he still had to be extra careful.


	22. The Question Answered

**District 11, 2270.**

“Justin Taylor is not here to save you,” Chris Hobbs announced into the loudspeaker. “So, it’s up to you to make a choice that will not get you and your family killed.”

He had left Drew Boyd behind to watch closely over Taylor. Soon, when he is done laying down the new – his _own_ – law to the remaining repdigits, he will return to Crescent and check just how well do the Curbs work on him and his little sister. Nothing too damaging, of course, since Chris planned to keep them both by his side for a long, long while. Maybe, he will also pick someone else useful. Maybe it will even happen today.

Bringing the gun to the meeting was only logical, and figuring out who exactly was causing Curbs to malfunction weren’t an issue at all. They all were way too obvious, those kids, and Chris didn’t see it difficult to outsmart them all. 

Actually, he did already. The only thing that made him feel slightly uneasy was Brian Kinney getting away, but even that couldn’t spoil the fun of finally taking the Eleventh back and putting the damned short-dozens in their place. Some of them got away, but Chris didn’t care, not for now, anyway. He just wanted to enforce his presence in the city and he will start with this very place.

“It’s really not necessary, Mayor,” Horvath approached behind Chris’s shoulder, looking unusually hesitant. “All we need to do is set the Curbs around the area, and I believe your technicians are already on it, but–”

“Funny you should notice,” slightly wincing at the wind, Chris turned his head towards the chief. _“My_ technicians. With all due respect, I really don’t think it’s your place to point out what is and is not necessary for me to do, Chief. Do you think I would have let Kinney go?”

“It was this or kill him,” Horvath replied and half into the sentence his voice weakened, just as he realized it wasn’t that much of a moral dilemma for Hobbs as it was for him.

Chris didn’t bother to hide an amused, cheerful giggle. “And that was supposed to be a difficult choice?”

To be honest, maybe it _was_ a difficult choice. After all, Chris still hasn’t figured out what exactly was it that linked Kinney and Taylor together. Not that he couldn’t do it, he just had way too many other things occupy his mind with. One of which was making sure that the Curbs functioned properly and he had full control over them in case he’d want them on or off. 

Of course, each one had its own switch, but not having any backup would have just been plane stupid, no matter how dangerous. He had a bunch of his most capable men guarding his main factory on the outskirts of the Seventeenth, and visited it frequently himself to make sure everything was well protected. Despite having the main control panel inside, the factory didn’t actually have any Curbs to protect it permanently, otherwise the testing would have been impossible. The factory was way too big to fit under the Dome, and half the Seventeenth was happy to work there anyway, so Chris had to cope with keeping it outside of Twenty-Ninth, sometimes thinking that maybe it was even more discreet that way.

“You can proceed into the registration post willingly,” Chris continued, the night wind carrying his voice well above Eleventh. “Or you can suffer the consequences.”

Horvath was right, this wasn’t necessary, but Chris be damned if it wasn’t fun. If Chris wanted to instill fear as fast as possible, he’d just have the front line of the repdigit crowd standing in front of him now shot dead and call it a night. And it wasn’t like he pitied them at all, he just really enjoyed himself yelling into the loudspeaker. 

They were standing on top of what was a watch post earlier, looking down upon Eleventh and its denizens, which were now forming a scattered crowd. Some of them were already scared, some of them were eyeing Chris with defiance, some just wanted to seem indifferent. To the left of the main square beneath watch post was the registration post: something Chris had come up with on a whim. If a repdigit was fine with the new order of things and actually wanted to offer their services to someone under the Dome and become their full-time live-in aid, they had to line up in front of the post and register their biometrics. If a repdigit wasn’t fine, they would probably be arrested for being a part of the rebellion.

“Listen here, ki– I mean, _Mayor Hobbs,”_ Horvath finally snapped and a second later Chris felt a heavy palm yanking on his shoulder. “I don’t know what kind of sick plan you came up with in your head, but these are people. Not slaves. You can’t just auction them off! Not under my watch.”

Chris let Horvath finish his little speech before jerking his shoulder to toss his hand off and turning his head towards him once again, this time to stab him with a sharp and brief look of utter menace. “I hope you enjoyed yourself, Chief, because this is the last time I allow you to speak to me in this manner. This is my city now, so spare me the noble bullshit and just answer one simple question. Do you want to keep your position or not? Because believe me, I can make it so you won’t have to _watch_ over anything ever again.”

Horvath grunted and tossed him a glare full of disgust before turning away and descending the stairs of the watch post heavily. Chris smirked to himself, once again alone, drinking the sight of the district that was now under his full control.

Chris scrunched his nose as he heard a bird croaking somewhere above his head. Someday he really had to deal with these damned pests, he decided, but not before he deals with sorting the repdigits. They were also sort of pests, weren’t they? 

**District 29, Crescent, 2270.**

Corridors in Chris Hobbs’s mansion seemed to be endless. Since Justin didn’t get any specific instructions, he mostly walked blindly, risking to be caught any second. The only thought that managed to calm him down was that he didn’t have any other choice. It was either trying his best to sneak out or nothing.

He’d never chose nothing. 

The excitement of finally meeting his sister was replaced very fast by extreme alertness and that wary feeling you get when you are being somewhere where you’re not supposed to be. Justin stepped carefully through the dimly lit house, amazed at how empty it was. Probably, Chris’s gang was busy elsewhere, at least for the most part, and Justin intended to use it to his advantage. 

Thoughts about Brian and his friends and Cody kept trying to creep into his mind, but Justin kept fending them off. There was no time for that, he had to be focused. He searched for a staircase, not wanting to risk using an elevator, but couldn’t spot one anywhere. The house actually looked somewhat like something Justin had remembered from his childhood: fancy, lavish, with a lot of useless furniture. 

He really didn’t want to admit it, but it seemed to him like he’d gotten lost. Just as he turned around another corner, that high, melodic, easily recognizable voice called upon him.

“U-h, I really don’t think you are supposed to be out here, sweetie.”

Justin’s gut froze as he stopped dead on his tracks and then turned his body slowly towards the sound. Surely, there he was: that same tall, slightly feminine man that led him to his room earlier and locked him inside. He stood there quiet, with a slightly concerned look on his face, but otherwise seemed harmless. Justin really didn’t know what exactly the both of them were going to do, so the long, drawn out silence took over.

Neither Justin nor the man had the time to do anything before Cody emerged from the nearby doorway. “And you are not supposed to stick your fucking nose where it doesn’t belong, Emmett.”

The man huffed. “I told Drew you were trouble and he wouldn’t listen. What are you going to do now, run? There is no place that Chris won’t find you, not after you screw him over like that.”

At the corner of his eye Justin caught a slight, barely noticeable gesture: Emmett tapped gently on his wrist, probably summoning someone to help him. By the time Justin managed to recognize the gesture for what it was, it was already too late. Just as well as when Cody pulled out a thin laser blade out of his jeans pocket. Justin wasn’t sure exactly what he felt about all this: Cody appeared like he was actually helping him, and once again Justin thought that maybe he never actually betrayed him after all. On the other hand, even if that was true, what could they really do? He was surely not about to let Cody do anything to harm Emmett, that much Justin knew. He was also determined to keep Cody himself out of harm.

On top of it all, they didn’t have much time left before someone would actually come looking for them.

“Cody, we have to go,” was all Justin said to him, but Cody was already riled up and usually it took more than that to calm him down.

“Tell you what,” Cody drawled, nearing Emmett, and looking positively menacing. Despite the drastic height difference between them with Emmett being as tall as he was, Justin still had no doubt about who could really do damage. Cody had that crazed glint in his eyes he always got at a mere thought of hurting a rich, privileged Dome denizen or someone from the government. Justin wasn’t sure if Cody understood that Emmett was neither, though. To Justin he just seemed like a house aid. “You will forget that you saw us and I won’t slit your throat.”

The blade wasn’t big at all. It was thin and shone orange, which made it look kind of like toy, but all three of them knew that it wasn’t. Cody managed to pin Emmett against the wall and now held the blade up to his chin. “Did you hear what I told you?

Emmett swallowed hard. “That wouldn’t make any sense, I can still tell on you when you leave.”

Justin had to admire the balls of the man. In any other situation he would probably chuckle, but now it didn’t seem like the right situation, so he just stepped closer and tried to calm Cody by putting a hand on his shoulder, just like he always did countless times before. “I told you we have to go, Cody. The guards are already aware anyway.”

Justin didn’t have time to think about Cody’s intentions much, but at this very moment Cody seemed to relax under his palm and didn’t even jerk his shoulder. It didn’t matter at this point if Justin would manage to get to the office, they just had to go back, get Molly, and probably run away to find Brian, since the Eleventh was not an option any longer.

“No,” Cody answered in a much softer tone, but still determined and still standing way too close to Emmett. _“You_ have go. And I will stay here to ensure that _this one,”_ he turned his head back to Emmett, who now dropped his gaze on the blade, “behaves himself. And trust me when I say this, Emmett, I don’t care for shit about what happens to me. If you tell anyone that you’ve seen Justin, I’ll make sure to _hurt_ you good, even if that would kill me in the process.”

Justin only had enough time to gasp for air before Cody added: “I’ll stay close to Hobbs and eventually end him, no matter the cost. You go deal with fucking Curbs, Justin.”

Justin suddenly felt overwhelmed as he realized that this whole time Cody _did_ have a plan, even if it wasn't perfect. After all, being alone in the hospital under the Dome probably made him desperate for any way out, and he jumped on the opportunity to leave with Chris, not caring if it would make him look bad in the eyes of the rebellion. Justin squeezed his palm on Cody’s shoulder and huffed. “You’re such a drama princess, Cody. We go together, and we deal with this together. I’m not leaving you again.”

He felt Cody’s muscles tense briefly and then relax immediately under his hand. Justin didn’t have any plan whatsoever, but he was dead certain he will not let Cody stay behind this time.

“Justin, I–”

Cody didn’t have time to finish before the elevator doors dinged not so far away and slowly slid open, letting Drew step outside. The man was clad in his usual black attire, tall and beefy and certainly stronger than both Justin and Cody together. He carried a stone-cold face expression as he approached them, and all Cody really had time for was to put away the blade. Justin contemplated just grabbing Cody's hand and bolting, but quickly realized that he was no match for Drew in neither fighting nor running.

“You should have triggered the house alarm, Emmett,” Drew growled and Justin thought it was probably the first time he’d heard him say a full-on sentence. Drew reached his hand to pull Cody away by the scruff of his neck and push him slightly into the wall, all before anyone could do anything. “They could have hurt you.”

Cody jerked his shoulders with glare. Drew could have easily snapped him in half, yet chose not to, and this surprised Justin more than he anticipated.

“Well, they haven’t, have they? And you’re here just in time,” Emmett gave the man a quick warm glance, almost like they were way too well acquainted, almost as if… no. That couldn’t have been true. “I didn’t want to attract anyone else’s attention.”

“If something would have happened to you, if you’d… die, I–”

“We’ve been over this. You wouldn’t care since you’d be dead as well.”

All Cody and Justin could do was exchange a couple of shocked looks, just letting the situation unfold before them. Somehow Justin found it amusing that a bulky, quiet, jock-like guy like Drew ended up having someone like Emmett – flamboyant and feminine – for a soulmate. 

Drew let out a long sigh and turned to Justin. For a second, his cold and usually a little absent face expression turned warmer; a corner of his lips jerked a little, not a full smile, but something of a sort. “Now, I believe this belongs to you.”

He reached for his belt and pulled out the very gun he took from Justin earlier, Hunter’s gun. Before Justin knew it, it was once again pressed against his chest and the man holding it was looking at him in an anticipation, clearly wanting for Justin to finally have it. 

Not much made sense to Justin at this point, but at least he was glad there were way more allies in this house that he ever anticipated to have. 

**Hope 2193, 2270.**

Brian was somewhat impressed with the size of the building that the rebellion had managed to find and even more impressed with the fact that he was even allowed in (even though he didn’t actually accept the invitation). He made sure everyone was in safe, got news about Ted being stable without asking _or_ caring, really, and finally loped back to his car. Only now, when he was alone – Michael decided he’d go back to Eleventh with Ben and Brian didn’t bother stopping him, knowing full well how much of a soulmate-believing romantic his friend could be – did he feel how scared he actually was. 

Brian crossed the front yard and tapped impatiently on his wrist to open the car. It seemed to his surprise that he wasn’t going to travel alone: a large black crow sat on the passenger’s seat, glancing sideways at Brian, its long silky feathers catching a glint from the neon lampposts. Probably, Brian had forgotten to close the window when exiting in haste. 

Brian sighed as he slid inside the car and closed the doors. “I still don’t get what’s wrong with fucking phones, Lindsay.”

The crow flopped its impressive wings and tilted its head slightly. Brian remembered this one: one of the healthiest, strongest birds Lindsay had. Actually, it might have even had a name that Brian didn’t care to remember. The news must be really, really important. But Brian still had to find Justin first.

“I can’t come anyway. I have to–” 

The bird let out an impatient deafening screech, at which Brian couldn’t help but wince. “Okay, okay. Let me think.”

He knew better than to actually call Lindsay, that would distract her and probably result in her losing control over the bird, which could potentially be harmful. Not that Brian knew a lot about having a power, but didn’t want to risk it anyway. He guessed that Lindsay didn’t call because of her usual paranoia of someone tapping into her phone. It was still unknown just how did she manage to get past all the Curbs that Zion was quickly getting infested with, but Brian decided not to analyze too much. 

“Do you want me to just follow you?” he asked and the bird stayed completely silent. He probed again: “You want me to come over?”

This time Brian received a soft croak and another flop of the wings in response. He put both palms on the steering wheel and stayed silent for a while before asking his final question. “Are you sure it’s more important than absolutely anything I could be doing instead?”

He could have sworn the crow looked at him as if Brian was a complete idiot, before croaking again and fidgeting impatiently at the passenger’s seat. Brian just sighed, assuming that Lindsay would have never actually risked to bother him for anything less than an absolute urgency. He had to get to Justin as soon as possible, but at the same time decided that Lindsay might have information which could end up important for both of their sakes. 

“Fine,” he finally tossed out before starting up the engine. 

It was lucky that Lindsay’s apartment was so close to the Eleventh, because, as Brian managed to figure out on the way, it could be reached even from Hope if one was a good enough driver. No AI would ever build its route on these roads, that was for sure. 

Brian managed to cross the Seventeenth district’s boarder undetected, probably because all the cops were now busy down at the Eleventh. The streets were empty and shone wetly under the night lights. Brian let himself relax for a fraction of a second as the large bird took off in the direction of Lindsay’s windows. Then he sighed once more, trying to empty his head, and got inside the building to pace up the still broken staircase. 

The door swung open even before Brian was able to raise his fist to knock. Lindsay looked disheveled and red-eyed as usual, only a little more uneasy this time. “In, quick!”

“This better be fucking good,” Brian muttered under his breath as he allowed her to pretty much shove him into the stuffy living room. It was dark here, as always, but strangely cozy, as if no rebellion or Hobbs could ever reach into this small flat that was still devoid of any gadgets or technology. Lindsay sat down at the edge of the dusty armchair and Brian felt like she was preparing to share something that might shock him. He leaned against the doorframe and raised his eyebrow in anticipation. 

“It’s about Taylor. Now I didn’t make a mistake summoning you, did I?” Lindsay finally said, and watched as a sharp glint of surprise flashed in Brian’s eyes. “Thought so.”

A string of thoughts rushed though Brian’s brain, none of them coherent, all of them involving Justin in grave danger, before he remembered Lindsay could have meant Craig. A few long seconds passed before Brian cleared his throat and managed to ask. “Which Taylor?”

“Oh, you know, that pretty blond one.” Lindsay said, mockingly casual, which was starting to piss Brian off already. The woman must have caught up on that and quickly added: “Don’t get all riled up. We don’t have much time, so now that I’m done taunting you, listen carefully. He’s in danger.”

That much Brian knew already. What he didn’t know was how the hell did Lindsay managed to find out that Justin being in danger would actually concern Brian; and that must have once again reflected on his face, because Lindsay spoke up before he could. “You actually think that Justin Taylor sitting on your damned windowsill for days on end could possibly pass unnoticed by _me_ of all people? I’m offended, Brian.” 

Brian’s mind went a thousand miles a minute before he finally was able to force himself to process one thought at a time as he gave Lindsay a solemn glare. “How much do you know?”

He never really planned on telling Lindsay anything at all, but since she had figured it out all on her own and didn’t tell anyone else, even Brian himself, maybe she deserved to know.

“Afraid that just about covers it. But I figured if you kept him in you flat while everyone else thought he was mis–”

“He’s my soulmate.” Brian blurted out before he could think and adverted his gaze as he bit on his thumb, waiting for her reaction. He wasn’t really sure why, but it seemed weird to admit it aloud to someone else who wasn’t Mikey. 

It was Lindsay’s turn to look shocked and she wasn’t holding back her reaction one bit. She gasped, giving Brian a long stare, probably trying to figure out if he was kidding. When she finally concluded that he was, in fact, telling the truth, she didn’t waste any time mocking him any longer. “I’ve been watching Hobbs now and again, you know, with all that Curb thing. I figured that might have come in handy,” she was speaking fast, so Brian had to quickly discard all his thoughts about Justin and focus. “Every time he wasn’t under the Dome, he’d visit his factory to check on something. It’s guarded heavily, but the area has no Curbs around it, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to spy.” Lindsay inhaled deeply and went on. “Whatever is hidden inside, Brian, is very important. I thought so right away, but when I saw Justin trying to sneak in today–”

“He’s outside the fucking Dome already?” Brian couldn’t help but exclaim, half-angry, half-amazed at how capable his soulmate actually was. He wasn’t kidnapped for more than several hours, yet already managed to escape. The initial excitement, however, was washed away quickly by the sudden realization. “Why did you leave him?”

“To find you, of course!” Lindsay shouted defensively and jumped to her feet. “It’s not like you’ve told me that your life depended on his or anything.”

“I–” Brian bit his tongue. “I didn’t tell anyone. Except Mikey.”

“Well, you should have. I could have kept an eye on him or something,” Lindsay muttered, offended, as they went back to the door and stopped for a moment in the dim narrow hallway.

Brian looked at her in the dark and his face softened. “But you did anyway, didn’t you?” 

“Yeah. Yeah I guess I did,” Lindsay nodded several times and managed a small warm smile. “Now go find him. I’ll lead you for as long as I can, then you’re on your own.”

Brian be damned if it didn’t feel awkward, but he still went with the urge to encircle her in a brief, tight hug.


	23. And Then — The Silence

**District 17, 2270.**

“I met Emmett back when I was a kid,” Drew said, eyes focused on the dark road ahead. “It was weird at first, to be twelve and already have a soulmate, but I came around.”

Justin listened, trying not to float away from reality and into another vision. After the effect of the Curbs in Chris’s house, the further they went from the mansion, the more often his mind would switch off without him having any control over it. The whole way he kept trying to balance between future and present in a sort of never-ending limbo, Drew’s voice being that one beacon of assurance that led him.

Justin saw it all: Brian’s death, Cody’s death, Daphne’s death, the ruined city, the burning buildings. If only there was any way for him to determine which ones from this long string of visions would come true. Sitting on a passenger’s seat of Drew’s car, driving into the unknown, Justin only had one soothing thought. In case Brian’s death was actually going to take place in future, Justin would die too.

“My father died when I was fifteen, and Emmett was there for me more than anyone,” Drew continued, steering the car towards Seventeenth. “And that was when I really accepted that whole soulmate thing. Same year I figured I had to provide for my family, so I quit school and found a job at Hobbs’s factory. I don’t know why, but the man took a liking to me, and eventually figured I had a soulmate.”

Justin huffed, knowing already where this was going. It seemed like a trait of manipulating and string pulling ran in Hobbs’s family. He turned his head towards the side window, noticing for the first time that it was snowing today. Sparkly, fluffy snowflakes floated slowly in the air, and watching them almost managed to calm Justin down, right until he caught a glimpse of Cody in a rearview mirror. Cody leaned all the way into the backseat, watching his palm intently while quietly clenching and unclenching his fist. He was probably testing the feel of his power once again, and if it overwhelmed him even a little bit as much as it did Justin, there was nothing good to expect. 

“He was ecstatic about having not just one, but two people to manipulate, and grew obsessive over training me to become a perfect bodyguard,” Justin nodded slightly at the words, since his thoughts were now confirmed. “With Emmett working as his house aid, there were quite a bit of ways to make me obedient and honestly, I didn’t mind. It’s not like we had any other choice, being the poor Seventeenth’s kids that we were. All I cared about back then was my family being looked after, and connections with Hobbs certainly took care of that.”

Cody suddenly straightened up, tossing an upward glance at Drew’s shoulder. “So, you sold out?”

“Call it whatever,” Drew just shrugged him off. “It kept me alive this whole time. When Hobbs senior died, I thought about quitting and taking Emmett somewhere far away from Zion, but he… refused.”

Justin raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly. “Emmett made you stay and work for Chris?”

Drew sighed as if he was trying to remember his soulmate’s words exactly. “He said Chris was not going to be the perfect little boy he was for his father and someday someone will have to try and stop him,” he looked sideways at Justin. “I figured recently that it’s you, Justin. And what do you know, Emmett was right.”

“Yay,” Cody deadpanned while Justin just stayed silent. He knew that no matter how much Cody wanted to seem insolent and unaffected by Drews help, he was still grateful. Partially, Justin was even glad, because finally he was seeing his old friend behaving just like he was before the hospital. 

Right after they decided to run from the mansion, Molly went with Melanie and Drew took Justin and Cody to Hobbs’s main factory. If the switch for Curbs was anywhere, it was certainly there, and Drew told them it was. Except none of them had any access inside, so as soon as they will finally reach the place, Justin had to improvise. 

They managed to cross the busiest area of Seventeenth unnoticed, and now, after driving for almost twenty minutes through the outskirts and empty fields, finally approached a tall, dark building, towering well above its menacing metal fence. At first glance it seemed completely devoid of windows, but a little later Justin noticed a few thin glass gaps on the first floor. Still, it was impossible to see inside.

The car pulled up in front of the back entrance, and Justin was sure they were already noticed, but Drew’s car gave them a little advantage: since they’ve arrived in it, nobody thought to report on anything suspicious just yet. The engine went silent and Drew let out a heavy sigh.

“I can’t go inside with you,” he said, almost looking guilty. “I've got to go back and make sure Emmett is alright through all this. No matter how it ends. I’m… I’m sorry.”

Cody snorted, but Justin turned his head to Drew and smiled reassuringly. “Don’t be. He’s your soulmate. I know I would have done the same.”

Justin could almost feel Cody growing confused after these words, but he didn’t care. If he was here risking his life, Brian was in danger too, so there was no point in hiding anything anymore. Drew just looked at him intently for a moment and then nodded. “At this time of night there is usually only one guard at the back entrance. You have your gun back, so–”

Drew didn’t get any time to finish, since the metal coffee cup he had pushed into the cup holder in between the front seats flew ahead, crushing into the dashboard. Luckily, it happened to be empty. Cody sneered and announced: “We won’t need a gun.”

“Sorry,” Justin frowned, throwing a glare at Cody, but Drew didn’t seem to care much, he just tapped a couple of buttons on the dashboard to open the doors. “Thank you,” he told Drew, unfastening his seatbelt. “For everything.”

“What he said,” Cody tossed out, already stepping outside.

Before the doors slid shut, Drew ducked his head to look at Justin and said: “Good luck.”

For a few moments they just stood on the snow-covered asphalt, looking at Drew’s car rapidly gaining speed, until it was finally completely out of sight. Cody sighed, letting out a thick cloud of warmth into the night air and gave Justin a sincerely worried look. Somehow, he seemed like he threw down all of his insolent bravado and now, being left alone with Justin for the first time in a while, appeared to be a lot more sympathetic and friendly.

Justin saw Cody’s face in the corner of his eye and could just feel him wanting to ask so many questions, yet when he finally spoke, felt a little disappointed. 

“What you told Drew, about a soulmate…” his voice weakened, and Justin didn’t answer right away, just continuing to stare at the darkness in front of them. 

He turned to head towards the security post and only then managed to answer. “It’s a long story.”

Cody nodded, probably not wanting to get into it, considering everything that waited for them ahead, and Justin was grateful. A large black bird flopped its giant wings above their heads, croaking loudly, and then turned its body in the air to rapidly fly away. Justin stopped for a while, looking at it, and then was jerked back into reality by the sharp pain in his head. 

He didn’t manage to stay aware for long, since another vision was already here. 

_Flash. A long, long, long corridor ahead of them. This floor looks completely empty, is there anyone out here? They run, loud steps echo; they jump into an elevator. A room, a large lobby room; three one five, says the glowing sign on the wall. Floor three one five._

“Finally, something useful,” Justin muttered quietly, answering to Cody’s silent concerns that were clearly written on his face. “I know where we need to be. We only have to get there.”

Cody nodded solemnly and raised his main hand in the air before he stepped closer to the security post. “Let’s get to it, then.”

The whole time they walked, getting closer and closer to the post, Justin thought how lucky they were that Hobbs didn’t infest the place with Curbs. It was strange, but on the other hand something must have made him decide against that, probably some technical reason Justin didn’t know and didn’t care to find out about, since it was stupid to question his luck. 

Before they even reached the post, several things happened at once: the door swung open, revealing a worried man somewhere around his forties; Cody growled something inaudible and tossed his hand in the air; and then the man flew back inside the post, pushed into a wall with a clear loud thud. Justin winced, but thought better than to say anything, as he followed Cody inside. 

“He’s not dead,” Cody reassured, kneeling before the man with his fingers on his neck. Justin knew for sure the only reason Cody did that was to please him. “I just knocked him out.”

The room was mostly occupied by a large control panel: at least a few dozens of tiny round buttons glowing every color of the rainbow. Above the panel there were three thin, holographic screens that broadcasted the security camera’s feed, as well as what was going inside. They managed to come in so quick the guard didn’t have any time to alert anyone, so everything for now seemed quiet. 

Justin stopped in front of the control panel, eyes darting around it, not able to decide what to do. Cody have caught on his mood, and put a reassuring palm on his shoulder, stopping behind him. “Now is probably the last quiet moment we’ll have in a while. Here.”

Justin lowered his gaze to see one of the oldest versions of Hobbs’s phone devices line in Cody’s hand. It was probably just pulled out of security guard’s pocket. Justin’s eyebrows narrowed. “Why?”

“Text Daphne. Or Hunter,” Cody put the phone in his palm and wrapped Justin’s unwilling fingers around it. “Warn them. Tell them we’re going to switch the damned Curbs off and they better be ready for a fight.”

Justin’s head suddenly went completely empty. He searched and searched for any emotion, yet couldn’t find it, way too numb to actually do anything. He knew he had to snap out of it, but right this second it seemed nearly impossible. He turned his head to look at Cody over his shoulder. “I don’t want them to risk their lives for me, Cody, if–”

“They are _already_ risking their lives for you!” Cody snapped and a bunch of holo-tablets scattered around on the table. “And if they aren’t ready for this, it’s their damned fault. Jesus, Justin. Give me that.”

He jerked the phone away from Justin’s hand and tap-tap-tapped on the screen frantically with both thumbs, sending someone a message. Justin gritted his teeth, feeling like he had to get his things together, otherwise they will never make it, not to the right floor, not even inside.

“Done?” he asked, feeling a sudden pang of anger. Cody was the one to keep him in the dark trying to deceive Hobbs without anyone knowing, and now he was trying to dictate what to do? 

“Yeah,” Cody answered quietly as he tossed the phone on the desk and straightened up. “How do you want to do this?”

Justin thought for a second, trying his best to get his thoughts in order. It was now or never, really, and he knew that he might just as well not leave this factory alive. He thought of Brian and that somehow brought a little clarity this time instead of the usual nudging longing in his chest. 

“We move quietly. Only attack if noticed,” Justin spoke rapidly, trying to fit as many words as possible in one breath. “The plan will probably go to hell within five minutes anyway, but we don’t kill. No matter what.”

Cody frowned. “Justin, these people were working on a thing that–”

“I don’t care. Promise me you won’t kill anyone,” Justin looked into his eyes intently, waiting for an answer. He knew that probably some of these people wanted him, or even the whole Eleventh dead, but he still wasn’t ready to take their lives. And unless he forces Cody to behave, that will inevitably happen.

“Alright, I promise,” Justin only had time to think it was too easy before Cody added: “Unless I _absolutely_ have to. Or… unless they threaten you.”

All of a sudden Justin remembered Brian calling Cody a tame hound and that, for some reason, made him crack a slight, barely noticeable smile. Not the words, but the memories that now seemed so distant as if it happened at least several eons ago. 

“Fine,” Justin nodded. He could live with that. After all, they truly didn’t know what exactly was going to happen. All they knew was that the factory was full of guards, even if all the engineers had already left by this time of night.

With that, they were out of the post, moving carefully in the darkness. Cody managed to pull an ID card out of the guard’s pocket along with his phone, so they were inside of what seemed like a storage room in no time, surrounded by rows after rows of large boxes. No alarms seemed to have detected them yet, so they paced swiftly forward, not having any idea where the elevator was or even if the guard’s ID worked on it at all. 

The next door they encountered was see-through and displayed two men sitting across from each other at the table. The desk had a touch pad with some card game on it, and the men appeared immersed, tapping on the screen. It was dark around, so Justin didn’t see much, but it seemed like aside from the men, the room was empty.

“You try the ID and then stay back,” Cody told him, raising his arm readily. 

“Wait,” Justin protested, trying his best to focus and peered through the door. It was worth a try to check if he was able to enter any of their heads.

What he didn’t anticipate is the alarm going off in one of their pockets. It wasn’t a big expensive one like something one would expect under the Dome or even in Seventeenth, it was just a little pocket gadget beeping loudly each time a power was used in a vicinity. But it was enough to drawn the men’s attention and within a few seconds they were at their feet, eyeing the room hastily until they finally noticed a glimpse of Justin through the door.

What a stupid idea it was, Justin thought to himself and that was the last coherent thing in his head, because the next thing he knew one of the men pushed the emergency button under the table and the deafening sound of a real alarm pierced the air. 

_“Now_ stay back,” Cody roared and stepped a little backwards to give himself some room before raising his arm once again and clutching his fist as he tore the door out of the wall, giving them both a way inside.

The metal screeched while the door fell down and the broken ID reader dinged uncontrollably as Justin finally decided to pull out his gun. He was still determined not to kill anyone, but could at least threaten people.

“What the fuck! Get down!” someone yelled at them and Justin heard a shot, but luckily the guard missed, and that was when Cody swung his hand, smashing someone’s body against the opposite wall, meanwhile grabbing Justin’s palm in his free hand to pull him inside.

Everything was going on so fast Justin had lost track of time. The alarm wailed so loud it overpowered any thoughts he might have had in his head and there was no time to concentrate or even try to affect anyone with his power, all he had left to do was to rely on Cody and his gun.

 _Right._ The gun. Justin squeezed it tighter in his sweaty palm as he followed Cody into the room; one of the guards was already trying to push himself back on his feet while the other one fiddled frantically with his belt: his own gun seemed to have stuck somehow. So, Justin didn’t waste another second and shot in the ceiling to scare them from whatever they were doing.

“Stay where you are!” he hollered.

In a moment he was ready to take the lead and pulled Cody towards the narrow corridor at the end of the room. He heard the same very sound from the vision: loud, stomping footsteps, and tried to accelerate into the corridor. Eventually, they both ended up out of the room and broke their handhold to gain better speed. Justin almost couldn’t believe his eyes when he actually saw a glowing elevator panel on the wall not so far away, and a rush of excitement washed over his body, even though he didn’t even know where the elevator led.

“This way!” Cody yelled and hastily pressed the button. Only now it was that Justin realized they weren’t even sure if the elevator was empty. 

“Talking about the plan going to hell within five minutes,” Justin giggled nervously as the stomping sound was getting louder and louder.

“I expected something like that,” Cody panted, but managed to shrug and seemed like he was much calmer than Justin could ever be. “Nice touch, by the way. You know, with the gun.”

The elevator was, in fact, empty. Justin thought that he never in his life felt so relieved before (and probably never will again) as when he stepped inside, seeing the door slide shut behind them. His eyes darted frantically from one button to another, until he finally realized that he could just talk out loud. He wasn’t very good with tech since he mostly grew up in Eleventh, where the top-notch stuff never really reached. 

“Three one five,” he declared, scared that it’s not going to work, yet it did.

Cody breathed out a long sigh as he leaned his back against the wall, probably using this moment of solitude to compose his thoughts. As hard as Justin tried to do the same, it didn’t seem to work at all. His mind was scattered, and all he could really think about for longer than a second was Brian.

If Justin was still breathing, so was he. That thought kept Justin going.

They haven’t said a word to each other for the whole ride, and Justin didn’t really mind. As they were nearing the right floor, Cody’s body tensed; he stepped forward, ready to protect Justin at any cost. At very last moment before the door opened, a question of why it was him and not Cody that was proclaimed the leader of the rebellion crossed his mind. Cody was more than capable, eager, strong. Everyone seemed to see him as Justin’s sidekick, yet Justin himself often felt like it was the other way around.

He didn’t have much time to think about it, since the elevator dinged loudly and the doors began to slide open. Immediately, Justin knew that something was not right, and Cody must have felt it too because pushed Justin into the wall with his free hand while waving another in the air, causing a bunch of guards waiting for them outside to be shoved away. 

It didn’t work on all of them, though, because before Justin knew it a strong, large hand reached inside the elevator and grabbed his neck harshly, pulling him outside and into a room that looked somewhat like a lobby. He didn’t have any time to check if it resembled one from the vision before. 

He dropped the gun behind, and pushed at the man’s shoulders with both hands, trying to break free. The grip was right, and it seemed to Justin like they were fighting for forever before something loud popped near his head and the man went limp, falling on the floor.

“What the fuck!”

“Shoot!”

“Get the motherfucker! I don’t care if you _kill_ him!”

“Fuck _right off!”_ he heard Cody yell, but it was muffled, since the shot (and now Justin knew where that ‘pop’ sound came from) went right near his ear. “I’m fucking done, Justin! They are gonna kill us!”

The gun was not needed any longer: Cody just waved his arms, tossing the guards around like puppets; they didn’t seem to have any drones or any other heavy tech on them, just guns. And guns certainly didn’t help against one pissed off repdigit with a telekinesis power on him. In mere moments the lobby turned into a chaotic battlefield: security guard’s bodies were draped over the turned over pieces of furniture, Justin wasn’t sure if the men were unconscious or dead. Someone moaned, cried, yelped and sobbed. At first glance, there were at least five people, all injured. Maybe even more. 

Justin snapped out of his brief haze and looked over at Cody who was now breathing heavily and rapidly getting paler.

“They would have… killed us, right?” his lips quivered a little as Justin stepped closer, cupping his neck with a calming palm. “They would have killed _you._ Justin, I–”

“You saved my life,” Justin stated calmly, having decided that the morals didn’t really matter any longer since a minute ago they might have truly been killed if it wasn’t for Cody. “They would have killed me, Cody, okay? Look at me. I’m not mad.”

Cody did look at him, and there was a desperate need in his stormy-gray eyes. Justin couldn’t quite define what exactly it was Cody longed for, but found himself quickly pulling his friend into a tight embrace, running his fingers gently over the short hair on the back of his head. And as Cody trembled for a moment in Justin’s arms, pressed against him closely, breathing hot nervous breaths into his hair, it hit him: _that_ was exactly why Cody was never their leader. He was still scared, as much fearless he wanted to appear. 

“Thanks,” Cody nodded a little, visibly embarrassed by his meltdown and tried to gather himself as he pulled away. “I think I bought us some time.”

“That you did,” Justin agreed and they finally had time to look around. 

The room was large, just like it was in the vision: deep brown walls, a fluffy mahogany carpet underneath their feet, now stained with blood. The furniture scattered all around the room appeared to mostly be made out of glass, and as Justin took a step forward, he realized the crunching underneath his sneakers was probably of pieces that earlier belonged to something that was now broken beyond repair. 

Overall, this appeared to be a lobby. Slightly pleased, Justin noticed a glowing sign from the vision, stating that this was indeed floor three one five. And then his eyes fell on the large door in the deepest corner of the room, but before he had any time to think about it, he heard a quiet whimper. 

Cody immediately looked alerted. “What the hell?”

He casually waved his hand and the table that was tossed sideways on the floor flew towards the wall, revealing a skinny crying woman that was probably hiding behind it. She was sitting on all fours, silent tears streaming down her face. A secretary or an assistant, Justin decided as he walked quickly towards her and kneeled down, giving her a sympathetic look.

“Does that door lead to Chris’s personal office?” Justin asked her, motioning his head towards the door. As he received several frantic nods in return, he continued: “Do you have a pass?”

She glanced at Cody, who was now looking down, towering above them and slowly rose to her feet, her whole body quivering nervously. “I will open it for you. It only works with biometrics.”

“Alright,” Justin told her calmly and watched as she turned around, walked awkwardly to the door and pressed her wrist against the reader. “Thank you. You should probably go home now.”

The woman nodded once again and hurried past the bodies with a horrified look on her face. Neither Cody nor Justin watched her get into the elevator, since they already rushed through the door.

The room behind it was even larger than the lobby. Spacious, it was dimly lit and had a holographic imitation of a window on its giant wall, displaying some kind of an antient Asian garden and its greenish-blue lights were spilled all over the floor. At the very middle of the room stood a table, much like one the guards on the first floor had, with a touchscreen. Yet, this one didn’t have any games on it, it just glowed slightly. 

Cody immediately hurried towards it and touched the screen, to which the table reacted just like Justin anticipated: shone bright red and stated ‘wrong biometric data’ on the screen.

“Shit. We shouldn’t have let her go,” Cody hissed. It took Justin several moments to understand that he was talking about the secretary.

“I don’t think this one works for anyone but Chris,” Justin told him, and right this second felt like they weren’t alone in the room any longer.

“That would be a correct assumption,” said Chris Hobbs, stepping into the room slowly. He leaned against the doorframe and raised his eyebrow, lazily eyeing both Justin and Cody. “Now, gentlemen, how do you think you can explain this mess?”


	24. Dead Men Rise Up Never

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it goes. Two chapters: one big, one tiny.
> 
> If you want to think that I half-assed it, go ahead, you are probably right. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone commenting and reading.

**Hope 2193, 2270.**

“Hunter!” Daphne hollered, stomping down the stairs. “Hunter, come quick!”

She raised one hand above her head, clutching her phone in it so hard her knuckles went white. She had absolutely no idea how, but Justin managed to escape and now asked them to be ready to use their powers, whatever that meant. The message was short and left a lot for Daphne to interpret on her own, which was why she wanted for someone else to look at it.

She was just done helping Deb treat to Ted’s injury when she found out about the message, and it took her quite a while of time, so now she was running down the stairs wondering if it was too late. The number was unidentified, yet it was someone else’s personal phone and not some cheap rented stuff, that much a quick online search told Daphne. Maybe, Brian’s? Brian had already left by the time Daphne even looked outside the window to check if his car was still around. It was better this way, since Daphne wanted him to help Justin as fast as possible.

As soon as Daphne’s feet touched the floor beneath the stairs, a quick strong hand grabbed her own, deftly pulling the phone out of her grip. “Let me have a look at that.”

Of course, it was Callie. Daphne smothered a disappointed sigh, but didn’t fight back or protest, just stood there as Callie’s eyes darted from line to line on the device’s screen as the content smirk twirled a corner of her lips slowly. Now it was her turn to yell: “Hunter!”

It would fall on the three of them to gather and prepare everyone, Daphne thought. People were going to be discouraged by Curbs, afraid to go out without a power to rely on, and it was up to her, Callie and Hunter to convince them. She knew she was ready to do that and more even for the smallest chance of helping Justin, yet not everyone might be that keen on the idea.

“What, is it Ben?” Hunter jumped right behind their backs, and in a more light-hearted atmosphere he would probably also joke about something silly just as he always did, but this time his expression seemed to be completely serious. “Did something happen?”

Callie silently tossed the phone towards him and he actually managed to catch it in time, immediately checking the screen. As soon as all three of them were aware of the message, Daphne gave both Hunter and Callie an anticipating look. “He wants us to be ready for a fight.”

“How in the fuck are we going to fight if Zion is plastered with that Curb shit?” Hunter’s eyebrows went up. “Unless…”

“He also asks us trust him,” Callie pointed out and for once, Daphne actually was grateful for her. Her eagerness to hurt people and start up conflicts might come in handy right about now. “So, I’m pretty sure he already thought of that.”

“It’s not like we have any other choice either,” Daphne said quietly, heading towards the main entrance. Being back to Hope without Justin was more difficult than she ever anticipated. “We have to ask Ben to turn back, and then jump as far as we can to get closer to Eleventh.”

“And what do we do then?” Callie followed Daphne closely till the very moment they nearly ran out of the building and into the cool snowy night. There was no protest in her voice, just readiness, and Daphne appreciated that. “We have to have at least some sort of plan.”

Hunter caught up to them soon enough, and now all three stood on an empty road once again, watching the darkness, waiting for the headlights to flash ahead. It was too late to try and message or call Ben, besides, Daphne didn’t know what other devices Hobbs might have come up with. It was probably unwise to use phones at all to reach Eleventh. 

“I thought you said he asked us to trust him,” Hunter actually managed to smile, at least he sounded like it, because Daphne didn’t turn around to check. 

She knew for sure that he did, though, when she saw Callie smiling, too. “Yeah. That he did.”

**District 17, 2270.**

“I’m disappointed in you, Cody,” Chris sighed, stepping inside the room. He moved slowly, confidently, as if nothing of what was going on even fazed him. “For a second I truly considered trusting you.”

“Well, that was stupid,” Cody found himself say and waved his hand, trying to attack, but his power was yet again blocked. He tried not to let his disappointment on, but Chris caught on it right away and tsked mockingly, shaking his head.

“Apparently, not as stupid as deciding you’re invincible and actually coming here,” Hobbs reached into a deep pocket of his knee-long gray overcoat and pulled out a small, steadily buzzing device. Cody narrowed his eyes and managed to realize it was a Curb. “It’s forbidden to use these on the premises since they intervene with all the testing, but I thought I’d bring one for the occasion.”

Cody and Justin looked at each other with growing panic in their eyes. Just now it occurred to Cody that he dropped their gun back in the lobby and it was too late to run for it now. There was no sign of any bodyguards yet, but Cody knew all too well how many of those Chris had and there was no doubt that at least two were waiting behind the door. 

“Oh, by the way,” as if he just read Cody’s mind, Chris took out the very same gun they dropped and twirled it around his index finger. “Look what I’ve found.”

Cody has never really found Chris particularly menacing before, yet now, outlined by greenish blue light of the huge holo-painting, his figure appeared almost scary: he seemed taller than he was, with an evil glee in his eyes and a gun squeezed firmly in his hand.

“What do you want, Chris?” Cody barely recognized Justin’s voice since his mind was going a mile a minute. “If you want us to get back with you, fine.”

He was probably just trying to buy them time, Cody thought. He knew Justin would never actually abide by whatever rules Chris wanted them to follow, but lulling Hobbs into thinking that he would didn’t seem to work, since the man barked a laugh and looked over at Justin with genuine amusement. 

“Very cute, Taylor,” he said with a lopsided smirk. “You can keep assuming that I can actually believe that. In reality, though, you proved to cause way more trouble than you’re worth. Pretty sure I can find someone just as capable who would be compliant.”

“Yeah right,” Cody stepped in front of Justin to cover him just in case. “Hell freezes over before anyone from the Eleventh will agree to have any business with you.”

Chris’s smirk grew wider as he casually buried his hands deep into his pockets, still holding the gun in one of them. “You mean the district that I just took over from the rebellion, right? The one that’s full of Hobbs’s Enterprises best tech and cops that are most eager to prove themselves to their new Mayor? Because if so, I beg to differ.”

One thought ran and ran on loop through Cody’s mind: they just have to keep him talking until they figure out what to do. He had a Curb, he had a gun, he (probably) had a bunch of goons waiting for a cue behind the door, not to mention he knew his office and this whole damned factory way better than both Cody and Justin. 

They were trapped, unless someone would actually come help them. But who? No one from the Eleventh could get out now, since they were surrounded by cops, at least according to Chris. So, they were on their own, and Cody be damned if he’s going to let anything happen to Justin.

It wasn’t just that he owed Justin his life, it was also the fact that he always loved him, yet never actually confessed it, even to himself. To admit it wasn’t really difficult, it was just something Cody was carrying through his whole life, from ever since they were kids and just met each other. Usually there were a lot of more important things to deal with than explain his own feelings, so Cody was used to just pushing them aside. But now, standing mere inches in front of Justin, feeling his nervous shallow breaths on the back of his neck, Cody couldn’t help but wanting to protect Justin no matter what happens.

And he will. He just had to break the damned Curb and then neither Chris nor his guards, however many, can stop him.

Cody could hear Justin shifting his weight from leg to another. “Does that mean you’re here to kill us, then?” 

For a second Chris actually looked somewhat friendly, which seemed almost surreal. He hung his head with a smile and shrugged, appearing genuinely uncertain. However, in a second, he straightened his back and looked right at Justin, pulling the gun out of his pocket. “Haven’t decided about you yet,” he said, pointing it at Justin, and then narrowed his eyes as he moved the weapon to point at Cody. “You, on the other hand, are not leaving alive.”

For some reason Cody believed him wholeheartedly, there was no way Chris would joke about something like that, even considering his love for theatrics. So, on a whim, Cody decided that if he wasn’t going to make it out of this factory alive anyway, it’s time to take his chance. 

He moved forward, almost breaking into a run, and had enough time to notice a spark of surprise flash in Chris’s eyes before he yelled: “Light!”

And the whole room went pitch-black.

“I’ve changed my mind, boys!” Chris exclaimed and Cody heard a few hasty steps, but wasn’t able to determine where exactly they were heading. “Let’s make it fun.”

There were now only sounds. As he widened his eyes trying to peer into the thick veil of darkness, much like one that swallowed him back when he was in a coma, Cody could discern Justin’s quiet hissy breaths, the rustling of Chris’s overcoat and a tiny annoying buzz of his Curb. 

Instinctively, they both got down to their knees in case Chris would want to shoot right now. Cody’s whole body flinched when he felt Justin’s cold palm clinging on to his own.

“We have to split,” Justin whispered under his breath and Cody squeezed his hand in assurance. “To confuse him.”

“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” Chris drawled and once more stepped somewhere even further from them.

Cody didn’t want to risk saying anything since it could come out too loud, so he just put his other hand on top of Justin’s quivering palm and held it for at least couple of seconds before nearly jumping onto his feet and making a few hasty loud steps towards the opposite corner of the room.

“Ready or not, here I come!” Chris sing-songed suddenly sounding way too close, and finally there was a gunshot.

It wasn’t loud, but didn’t appear any less horrifying. Because of the silence and his senses being sharpened in total darkness it seemed to Cody that he could even hear tiny bullets cutting the air as they swished through. And then Chris grunted, annoyed, because he didn’t manage to hit anyone. 

And then he shot again; once, twice, three times, and there was absolutely nothing Cody could do when he heard a yelp of pain from Justin and the sound of his body collapsing on the floor. He didn’t care about being shot himself, he _expected_ to be. But he couldn’t even see where to run to either help Justin or lunge at Chris.

So he was about to break into a mindless run in hopes of finding Justin or maybe stumbling upon Chris, when he heard something else, something that wasn’t a part of the surroundings before: a few soft, panther-like steps, and then some grumbling, sounds of pushing, muffled breaths, one unidentified crunching sound, and then someone’s loud, hoarse and a little desperate voice called out: “Light!” 

The voice certainly wasn’t Chris’s. Cody has never felt quite as helpless before as he did now, when the voice mumbled. “Fucking figures, only you can turn it up. Get to it.” 

“Fuck off!” now _that_ sounded like Chris. 

“Turn it up!” the voice roared, soon followed by a wet crunch and a loud howl of pain. 

“Light,” Chris all but whimpered, and then the dim greenish-blue light hit Cody’s eyes, seeming way too bright now. He squinted as he overcame initial pain and adjusted to his surroundings, finally able to see.

The first thing his eyes instinctively searched for was Justin’s body, and he noticed it quite fast: a short, slim figure down on the floor, leaning against the opposite wall. Somehow Justin had already managed to sit up and was now looking somewhere past Cody, while pressing a blood-stained hand on to his shoulder. Then Cody noticed a bright ruby-red blood print all over his shirt.

And then he saw the stranger, whom ended up being not a stranger at all. The same cop from the hospital, the tall one – a bunch of useless names swirled up in Cody’s mind, and then he was finally able to fish out the right one – Brian. Nothing made sense to Cody yet, but if the cop was here, they might be in even bigger danger, despite the fact that Brian was now holding Chris in full nelson hold, blood running down Hobbs’s chin.

As soon as the lights went up, Brian didn’t waste a second to pull one of his hands free and land a crushing butt-stroke with his own gun right on the back of Chris’s neck. As Hobbs’s unconscious body dropped to the floor, the time seemed to start ticking again, and Cody leaped towards the gun that was dropped by Chris earlier to pick it up deftly and point at the man. 

“Whoa. Easy, tiger,” Brian raised his opened palms in the air, his own gun still hanging on his index finger. He waved it a little. “I’ve got one of my own, remember?”

Cody suddenly was able to focus on himself and realized with great surprise that he didn’t need a gun anymore. He felt his power flowing through him, strong as ever, and his eyes trailed behind the man as he finally found out what the crunching sound was: Chris’s Curb was crushed into tiny pieces on the floor, probably destroyed in a fight under someone’s heel.

Cody scowled as he raised his main hand. “Oh yeah? Let’s see what good it’s gonna do you.”

“Cody,” he heard Justin croak. “Drop it.”

Cody trailed his eyes back to Justin in confusion. Justin’s face was milky-pale and there was nothing that Cody wanted more than to run towards him, but he still wasn’t sure who’s side the cop was on and why was he even here. Justin, however, nodded slowly and even through his clearly visible pain didn’t seem like he was concerned by Brian’s presence. 

Even before Cody fully lowered his hand, Brian paced towards Justin to kneel next to him, and didn’t look like was going to kill him but rather like he was extremely worried. Which looked very odd, because somehow seeming worried didn’t fit Brian at all. 

“What the fuck did you get yourself into this time, Taylor?” Brian asked, trying to get a closer look at the wound. 

Justin hissed when the man’s fingers touched his shoulder. He swallowed hard, probably deciding to ignore Brian’s rhetorical question. “Was Chris actually alone? Aren’t there… guards?”

“There were,” Brian shrugged dismissively. “Don’t think they knew what hit them.” He looked over Justin’s shoulder, carefully leaning his body forward and his face suddenly brightened a little. “Thank fuck there’s an exit wound. We’ve gotta get you out of here, I have a first-aid kit in the car.”

Justin glanced up at Cody, who still didn’t understand a single thing. Brian obviously cared for Justin and came here to help him, but why did he do it and since when they were even acquainted was still a mystery. He stepped carefully towards Justin, not sure if he felt more scared for Justin or _jealous_ of Brian. Because the way Justin was looking at the man… he never looked like that at Cody.

“Cody?” Justin called in a weak voice, and Cody hurried to sit before him while Brian instinctively leaned back, giving him some space. “Remember about that… soulmate thing?”

Now Cody knew exactly where this was going. His face hardened and he simply said: “Don’t explain. We still have Curbs to shut down and Chris to deal with. Go get to the car and leave me with him.”

“Cod–”

“You need that aid kit, the sooner the better. Chris doesn’t stand a chance against me with no Curb. Now go.” 

Cody gave Brian a long, solemn look, promising that if anything at all was going to happen to Justin on his watch, he would be dead, and the man suddenly didn’t show any sign of objection, just nodded briefly in response. Justin’s eyes darted from Brian’s face back to Cody’s and he seemed to have accepted being outnumbered. 

“Are you sure you can… do this?” he asked clinging on to Brian’s hand to get up. 

It’s not like Brian needed any help, but Cody still held Justin from the other side just in case. “Have been this whole time.”

“I guess it was always more of your fight than mine,” Justin told him and let out a weak, sorrowful laugh. He was already standing up, but still slouched a little because of the wound.

Cody felt himself soften and managed an actual comforting smile, which was never his thing usually. “Hey, you’re the one who took the bullet.”

Justin looked at him softly, reaching for his face to stroke his cheek. “I hate doing this.”

“We have to go now, Justin,” Brian chimed in.

It was painful, the whole thing. Cody didn’t really anticipate it being this painful, so didn’t have any additional time to react appropriately without seeming jealous. He held his eyes on Justin’s face long enough to see him return the smile, and then with the last glance at Brian, jerked away from Justin’s hand and turned around to Chris’s body. He was still unconscious, and it was Cody’s job to never let him wake.

Although, on the other hand, maybe he _wanted_ to awaken him and let him suffer. He had some time to make up his mind.

**District 17, 2270.**

Snow had turned into rain while Brian peered through the windshield waiting for Cody. He looked over at Justin, who now seemed to feel way better than before (his face actually got some color now). “Are you sure you trust him?”

“With my life,” Justin replied without a second thought as he leaned deeper into his seat. “How did you even find us?”

He was still shirtless since earlier Brian had to undress him to treat the wound, and he sat back almost as if he was relaxed, which seemed a little weird under the circumstances. Might have been the effect of a painkiller that came with the kit, Brian thought.

Lindsay had already left by the time they got to the car, but Brian looked up at the sky trying to spot her anyway. As he realized there was no sign of her, he ended up saying: “Long story for later.”

Justin huffed a little, but didn’t push further on the topic. “And how did you see where Chris was back in the room?”

Brian tapped gently on his temple, activating the cyber-software that allowed him to have infra-red vision. He knew it glowed slightly red while active, so he didn’t even need to say anything. Justin just mumbled an ‘okay’ and turned away as Brian tapped once more to deactivate the eye.

“It feels like…you’re mad at me,” Justin finally said, squirming a little. It was warm in the car, so Brian assumed he was nervous rather than cold. 

_Was he mad?_ Brian rarely allowed himself to reflect on things and really delve deep into his feelings, and today all he cared about was getting Justin to safety. Now, when Justin was finally at least somewhat safe, near Brian, radiating the usual warm calmness that came with their connection, he found himself finally thinking about his emotions. 

Since he arrived, he was so eager to find Justin that he simply didn’t have any time to feel mad. He passed the very same security post Justin did, a still unconscious body of the guard assured him of that. It was nighttime, so there weren’t a lot of guards altogether, and those Chris brought along were scattered around, trying to catch Justin and Cody in case they were going to run. Brian did encounter a couple of people at the lobby, but they weren’t a problem at all for a cop of his experience.

Later, the whole time while trying to carry Justin to the car (the damned kid fended off all of his attempts, insisting that he could walk himself) and treating his wound, Brian was only busy with making sure Justin was alright. Brian was sure he would have felt it if Justin was about to die, so he didn’t worry that much. Still, seeing Justin in pain was difficult, and the feeling was completely new for Brian.

And now, when they were both in a quiet dark car, surrounded only by the sound of rain dropping on the roof, Brian had the time to realize that he was, in fact, mad. Maybe Justin being his soulmate could understand it even faster than Brian himself did. 

“Next time when you decide to take over the Mayor’s factory alone, warn me,” Brian found himself saying, and raised his eyebrow at Justin. “Deal?”

Justin hung his head and Brian watched his eyelashes flutter as his eyes were darting around guiltily. “Deal. I just didn’t want to… make you worried? I don’t know, Brian. I always felt like this whole rebellion thing has nothing to do with you.”

“Well, this _rebellion thing_ ,” Brian emphasized with air quotes, “is now bigger than both of us, so it doesn’t really matter. Besides, keeping me out of this for any reason at all is idiotic, since in case you get yourself killed, I’ll follow soon enough.”

Justin lifted his head, suddenly smiling softly. “I actually died once already,” before Brian could ask anything, he explained: “Remember the day you kidnapped me? I caught a bullet in my throat just before. You wouldn’t remember anything, for you it didn’t happen at all. Daph was there to save me.”

Brian swallowed against a lump in his throat. “So how do you know, then?” 

“She told me,” Justin said in a ‘duh’ sort of tone and looked around. “Do you have a spare t-shirt this time?”

Yes, Brian decided. He _was_ mad. Just not at Justin, but rather at himself for letting him go with Chris and not doing anything to stop it. For not being there for him. Not being there for _them._ Looking at Justin now – his shaggy golden hair, and determined eyes, and his milky skin – Brian wanted to pull him closer, so close he would mold the kid into his chest and never ever let him go alone anywhere again. That was, of course, unhealthy, but Brian went with the urge anyway. 

Instead of reaching for the glove department as he leaned closer, Brian stopped halfway and looked Justin in the eye, immediately feeling him slip into his mind, searching for answers. After carefully pushing through Brian’s memories and emotions, Jusint let out a long sigh. “It wasn’t your fault that Chris took me, okay? You just saved our lives, Brian.”

Brian didn’t try to force him out, holding the eye contact. “If it wasn’t for Lindsay, I’d–”

Obviously, Justin managed to understand who Lindsay was from the memories, but didn’t seem too eager to ask anything. He didn’t say anything back, either, just leaned even closer and finally kissed Brian first. The kiss was soft, a mere tentative touch, but as soon as their lips met the need washed over Brian’s whole body and with a grunt, he cupped the back of Justin’s neck, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss.

Justin moaned into his mouth and Brian almost forgot where they were and what they needed to do next, but soon he felt an opened palm pressed against his shoulder and a soft voice in his head, telling him that _‘Cody is here’._

They pressed their foreheads against one another as they broke the kiss and for a second just sat there evening their breaths. A few moments later Justin was finally fully dressed, having pulled Brian’s t-shirt on just before Cody knocked on one of the car windows.

“It’s taken care of,” he said simply, settling on the back seat. 

Brian didn’t care to ask how it went, and Justin probably just decided to bother Cody with questions later. As they sped up towards the city, Brian decided to voice his plan. “We have to get to Horvath before your friends do, otherwise he might end up dead.”

Cody snorted. “Good riddance.”

“Wait,” Justin straightened up in his seat and Brian thought that he must be feeling a lot better. “Remember you told me that Chris confessed killing Stockwell to you, Cody?” 

“He did, what of it?” 

Brian glanced at Cody through the rearview mirror and realized he was most likely jealous. At least, he seemed so, and this discovery suddenly made Brian feel… jealous too? The thought didn’t even surprise him as much as it should have. “We could prove it to Horvath then. Through Justin.”

And then they spent the next ten minutes of their way trying to explain the concept of Justin’s power to Cody. To be exact, Justin was the one who did the explaining all the while Brian silently kept noticing that the Seventeenth usually full of cops looked way too empty now, so empty they didn’t even have an issue driving through. 

“I have to try and recover your memory so I could then share it with Horvath,” Justin said and to Brian’s surprise was actually able to bend forward, eventually leaving the passenger seat so that he could sit next to Cody. “All you have to do is trust me.”

They were now nearing the Dome border, and Brian purposefully picked the post furthest from the Eleventh since it was usually the least guarded one. He wondered if the word about him leaving with a bunch of repdigits travelled that far already, but decided to take his chances, so he pulled up in front of the Dome and unlocked the doors.

“Stay inside,” he tossed out to Justin and Cody while stepping on the ground.

The air was warmer now since the dawn was nearing, and annoying rain drizzle glistened in neon lights as Brian walked towards the post, wondering why it was still so quiet. Usual protocol while passing Twenty-Ninth’s border included one guard checking the car and another interviewing the driver, but this time Brian had to walk in himself. 

It was dark inside of the post, the only source of light being the row of dim emergency lamps. That meant the main illumination for some reason was cut, and Brian didn’t like it one bit.

“Sir! You can’t go inside!” said a soft voice behind Brian’s shoulder. “The border is closed.”

Brian had two options: he could either knock the guard out right now, or try to lie to him. Since he didn’t know if the guy was actually alone at the post, he quickly picked the second route and turned on his heels, trying to look as convincing as he could. “Lieutenant Brian Kinney, Twenty-Ninth’s district police department,” he flashed his holo-badge, now grateful that he had decided earlier to keep it. “What’s the situation?”

The guard didn’t look older than eighteen, and seemed to believe Brian unconditionally. 

“The repdigits, Lieutenant!” he exclaimed. “They went out of control and attacked the Dome! They are headed for the police department and all the forces are now focused there. I assume you are going there too?”

“Is the Chief there already?” Brian asked, trying his best not to look relieved.

“Everyone is, they even left me here to guard alone,” the kid answered, to which Brian simply nodded. “I think I can let you pass, you’re the police, right?”

Brian decided to stay silent not to accidentally make the guard doubt himself.

The further they drove under the Dome the more Brian realized how serious the situation was. It seemed like the whole Eleventh went out on the streets and was now marching towards the Trinity. People were coming from everywhere but headed in the same direction, and soon, Brian thought, they will have to ditch the car as the crowd thickens. For the most part the marchers looked peaceful, but as soon as an officer passing by would try to threaten them, didn’t hesitate to attack. 

“What do you think they’ll do when they get there?” Justin asked, looking through the side window and clearly wanting to jump out of the car right this second. “I wonder where Daph and Hunter are.”

“Probably ahead of everyone,” Cody shrugged and repeated Brian’s thoughts word for word: “I think it’s time to get out.”

He was right, driving was starting to get impossible, even with autopilot, so Brian tried to find a narrow alley (not that there were many of those under the Dome) to drop the car. When he eventually did, they had about half a mile left on foot to get to Trinity. Cops on the streets didn’t seem to care for them much, even though most of them were probably able to recognize Justin on sight. They just didn’t dare to try and arrest anyone any longer, since the risk of getting killed was too high.

Brian found himself wrapping Justin’s fingers into his own hand, squeezing firmly. “We have to stay together.” 

“Yeah,” Justin nodded; a faint smile caused by the gesture fading on his lips. He seemed like he wanted to say more, but Cody interjected:

“Let’s go already.”

And they started their way through the crowd: Cody pacing ahead, eagerly waiting for someone to pick a fight with him, Brian close behind, hovering above Cody’s shoulder, and Justin with his hand still clasped in Brian’s, turning his head around in hopes to see a familiar face. The closer they approached Trinity, the more people seemed to notice Justin and call out to him, some sounding cheerful and some afraid. Nobody actually dared to attack them, even though Justin was led by Brian who not only was a stranger to most of the short-dozens, but also still carried a police badge on his belt. 

The night was slowly melting away, darkness getting thinner and thinner.

“He’s probably outside, coordinating the whole thing,” Brian suggested as they were crossing the road next to Trinity, passing the cars stuck in traffic. “Let me talk to him first.”

“Aren’t you wanted or something?” Cody puzzled, tossing a glance at Brian over his shoulder.

“Aren’t you?” Brian bit out and could practically hear Justin behind him rolling his eyes.

“I’ll talk to him,” he said suddenly. “I’m the one who can share the memories with him and I started this whole thing anyway, so… it’s only fair.”

Brian wanted to argue, yet in a second decided that Justin was right. 

**District 29, 2270.**

As soon as Chief Carl Horvath set foot inside the elevator to get to the station, it started. The reports were coming in from nearly every officer on duty: a crowd of repdigits was already under the Dome, marching right to the police department and god knows what they were planning to do. The reports said that they weren’t attacking anyone but those who attacked them, so Horvath quickly ordered not to touch them. Maybe, they just wanted to talk, and that he could deal with.

What he couldn’t deal with was Chris Hobbs’s fury when he finds out that a whole bunch of repdigits somehow got past the Dome border despite his newest invention working in full force.

Later Chief managed to figure out that none of the Curbs were working, and as soon as the officers were aware of the same thing, the panic broke out. Some ran off from under the Dome, some stayed, but preferred to just watch instead of doing anything, because any attempt to attack the march would probably end up punished.

Now, standing in the middle of the Trinity square, right under the police station, Horvath watched the crowd circle around him, becoming larger and larger. He had a couple of loyal officers by his side and his gun, but that was about only protection he could rely on. The drones were in Mayor’s disposition and the Mayor himself was nowhere to be seen.

Ahead of the march were the three teenagers Horvath managed to remember: two short dark-haired girls and a scrawny long-haired boy. He knew from the old tape that two of them referred to themselves as Daphne and Hunter, and the third girl was Callie, Horvath met her the day he visited Eleventh. 

“We want the Mayor,” Callie immediately called out with a sharp, loud voice. “Right now. He didn’t want to come to us, so we came to him.”

“Yeah, bring him out!” someone from the crowd yelled.

“Is he only good at talking while pointing a gun at people?” someone else echoed.

Horvath raised his opened palms in a calming gesture. “I’m willing to talk to you. I haven’t seen the Mayor since–”

“Since he took Justin?” Hunter spat out bitterly, giving Horvath a look of disgust. “That’s the kind of shit you condone?”

“Do you really stand by him, Chief?” Daphne asked softly, placing a hand on Hunter’s shoulder trying to get him to calm down. “Even though he kidnapped a person just because he wanted so?”

Her eyes, unlike Callie’s or Hunter’s, didn’t express any anger. If anything, she seemed… disappointed or saddened. Horvath let out a long sigh, trying his best to salvage whatever was left of this situation, not knowing for sure where the whole thing was going. “Listen. Let’s take it to my office, alright? The three of you can come in, we will discuss whatever it is you wanted to, and then you can all go back the same way you came.”

“Oh yeah?” Callie narrowed her eyes angrily. “And the Mayor is going to hide this whole time?”

“Release Justin Taylor!” came from the back of the crowd, followed by: “We want to see Hobbs!”

The tech responsible for weather under the dome must have went inactive from all the passive powers, because Horvath felt the raindrops slowly falling on his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted, first by strange fuss somewhere inside the crowd and then by someone’s loud, confident voice.

“Chris Hobbs is dead!”

A few surprised gasps could be heard while Chief Horvath’s searching eyes darted from one face to another trying to identify the person speaking. And then Cody Bell emerged from the crowd right next to Daphne, followed by none other than Brian Kinney and Justin Taylor, holding hands. The sight was so unusual Horvath had to take a second or two to adjust. 

“Cody!” Daphne shrieked and wrapped her arms around his neck, while Cody himself just tolerated her embrace, staring at the Chief. 

Brian gave Horvath a nod of acknowledgement, and then had to let go of Justin’s hand to allow the boy a step ahead of everyone. Justin turned to the crowd and smiled faintly. “It’s true. But that doesn’t mean it’s all over.” He made another little step backwards, now standing right next to the Chief, and cleared his throat. “I appreciate you coming here peacefully. We can still get our point across that way. That’s why I wanted to speak to the Chief… preferably alone.”

He turned to Horvath with his last words, while the crowd fell quiet. Horvath could see Daphne wanting to jump ahead and hug Justin as well as she did Cody, but the moment was already gone, because all of the attention was now on him.

“I was just suggesting the exact same thing,” Horvath tried to speak carefully, since he knew that rejecting Justin meant inevitably aggravating the crowd. “Would you follow me, son?” 

“I’m coming with,” Kinney immediately stated to which Justin just shrugged, so Horvath didn’t voice any protests either.

“Tell them what happened,” Justin told Cody before the three of them were leaving the square to head to Horvath’s office.

District 29, 2270.

Justin still couldn’t believe this was finally happening. He didn’t discuss Chris’s death with anyone, even Cody, partially because he didn’t have any time and partially because the realization didn’t settle in yet. While Brian was gone from the car, he did retrieve the memory out of Cody’s head, but that was about everything he had the time for. 

Brian’s hand wrapped around his was the only thing Justin could focus on now, walking across the long corridors and empty hallways of the police station behind Carl Horvath.

As soon as they reached the office and Horvath beeped his chip against the reader to open the door, a formally dressed man jumped up from behind his desk. “What the hell is going on?”

“Get the fuck out, Kip,” Brian growled impatiently, and Horvath gave him a solemn warning look, but nodded at the guy anyway to confirm Brian’s words. 

Kip just huffed in irritation and hurried out the office, leaving them completely alone. Justin wouldn’t have been surprised if the three of them were the only people in the whole department at the moment. 

“You know I still have to arrest you, right, Kinney?” Horvath asked, descending heavily into his chair. 

“Same way you _arrested_ Hobbs when he kidnapped me?” Justin glared at the Chief, but forced himself to calm down. Convincing this man was his main priority, he didn’t come this far to just argue. “Look, Brian was just trying to help. You know Hobbs was going to destroy the city sooner or later, and if you are willing to negotiate and trust me for a moment, you will understand that we were forced to do what we did. Well, maybe trashing the store wasn’t such a good idea to start up a conversation, but it got the job done.” Justin let out a sigh and glanced over his shoulder at Brian who was standing next to the huge window, eyeing down the square and all the people waiting. 

Horvath probably wondered why they were even together, but didn’t ask anything, just leaned back in his chair and said: “Talk.”

Brian, still looking away, suddenly chimed in: “We have proof that Hobbs was the one to arrange Stockwell’s murder.”

Justin shifted in his char a little. “Only to see it, you have to trust me.” Reading Horvath’s confused expression, he explained: “It involves my power being used on you. It doesn’t hurt or anything. You can…” he actually managed a shy smile. “… you can ask Brian.”

Horvath grunted, a frown spread across his face, and then gave Justin a tiny nod. “I know Chris was no good for Zion. And I’m aware of him planning vile things. I’ll give you a chance, but make it quick. The crowd is waiting.”

Brian buried his hands in his pockets, his eyes darting around the square. “That it is.”

Justin sighed again, focusing on Horvath, holding a long, intent eye contact before finally being able to enter his mind. He didn’t care searching for anything, since his only job was to deliver the information and not take it. That was certainly new to him and he didn’t have much experience, not to mention the memory wasn’t even his to begin with. However, he tried his best not to get lost among a myriad of emotions and memory snippets of Carl Horvath while relaxing and letting the Chief peek into his own mind, bringing the right memory to life by thinking about it over and over again. Justin was so lost in the process that he physically flinched feeling Brian’s hand on his shoulder.

“They’re starting to get impatient,” Brian explained quietly and Justin glanced at the Chief. Horvath just nodded briefly, confirming that he saw enough.

“How do I know you didn’t just… imagine it all?” he finally asked.

“We can get a memory card later and take the memory from Cody directly,” Justin didn’t feel fazed by the distrust at all, talking calmly. “You can’t record any lies on those. We just didn’t have any time for that today.”

“And now, why the hell did Chris Hobbs end up dead?” 

“He was going to enslave half a city, for god’s sake!” Brian snapped. “He kidnapped Justin at gunpoint, intending to use him for fuck knows what. His sister–”

“Brian,” Justin interjected, still afraid to drag Molly into this. Brian, for once, didn’t protest and actually stopped talking.

“Alright,” Horvath heaved a heavy sigh after a few long minutes of silence. “Alright.”

Somehow just by looking at him Justin knew that Horvath have already been doubting the side he was on for a long, long time. And the memory he had just seen was his last straw. To give the Chief some space, Justin stood up, wanting to see the square for himself, and approached the window. 

The Trinity was swarmed with people; while not being able to discern any faces from up here, Justin could still see that the crowd was enormous. Dawn was already blooming at the sky above: bright rays of sun spilled all over the city’s glistening towers, painting everything a nice shade of pinkish-orange. 

Justin felt Brian come up behind him. “Ready to head out?”

“Yeah,” Justin found himself say. “Yeah, I’m ready.”


	25. The Last, the Very Last

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "End credit" song here would be "Die alone" by Finneas.
> 
> And thank you once again.

**District 29, 2270.**

“I know we’ve had our differences,” Horvath began. “But today some things have been brought to light that I couldn’t ignore.”

When they exited the tower and reappeared in front of everyone, the sun was starting to set. Weather controlling mechanisms under the Dome seemed to have shut down for whatever reason, so Brian pulled his leather jacket off and tossed it over Justin’s shoulders to which the kid just glanced at him gratefully and didn’t even argue about not being a damsel, as he usually would. That was when Brian realized how exhausted they both actually were from the whole thing.

The crowd was listening dutifully to every word. Brian noticed a bunch of police cars pulling up at the very back of the square. He couldn’t help the urge to wrap his hand around Justin’s waist and pull him closer. He leaned in to his ear and whispered. “How’s your shoulder?” 

“Chris was worthless at shooting,” Justin replied with a shrug. “And your aid-kit was good. So I forgot about it. But… it’s nice of you to ask.”

Brian scoffed into his neck, trying his best not to start kissing him. Just holding him like that now, when it all seemed to finally come to an end, was making him feel unusually happy. Even the word ‘happy’ itself sounded foreign to Brian. He didn’t do ‘happy’, yet now, with his arm encircling Justin’s warm body, nothing else came to mind.

“Wanna get some stir-fry when this whole thing is over? I’m starving.” Brian was still whispering, and Justin giggled slightly from ticklish breaths on his skin.

“I don’t think anyone is there to serve it, considering all that’s going on,” Justin replied, leaning closer against Brian. “But I don’t mind.”

“There are still a lot of things we have to figure out and deal with,” the Chief continued loudly. “But I can promise you that today you can go back to your homes knowing that you won’t be followed by the police. Knowing, that if there will be officers down at your district, they will only be there to watch over the order and not to control you.”

A roar of cheers overtook the square, some people even applauded. At the corner of his eye Brian saw Justin smiling brightly, the same wide grin he had on one of the tapes. 

“What I can also promise is that Zion will no longer be divided,” Horvath added confidently, and somehow Brian believed him. “After we discuss everything that needs to be discussed and settle the necessary business, we can start building a new future. I don’t expect it to be easy, and you shouldn’t either. But as long as we cooperate, nothing will stop us.”

The roar this time was even louder and Brian winced at the sound. Justin instinctively leaned closer to his side, but they didn’t get to enjoy the embrace for long since Daphne couldn’t contain herself anymore and ran from the crowd to hug Justin herself. 

Eventually, Hunter, Callie and even Cody followed her, so Brian had to step away and give them a little space. He didn’t want to share Justin, not now. Now even for a short while, but looking at their faces – smiling, grinning, laughing, with a last hint of fading disbelief on them – he couldn’t help but smile himself, just with a corner of his lips though, not a full-on smile like Justin had. 

Horvath, having already finished his speech, approached him. “You all look exhausted, so go have some rest. Tomorrow we’ve got a lot to sort out.”

Brian nodded in agreement, he did feel exhausted, not just looked it. And he knew that Justin needed some rest too, he wasn’t his soulmate for nothing, after all, and could easily see him being overwhelmed and tired behind all his wide smiles. 

“How about an honorary jump home for today’s hero?” Hunter suggested, pushing Justin’s side with his elbow playfully. “Or actually, a few jumps, because it’s a long fucking way. Still faster than driving with Ben, though.”

Daphne scrunched up her nose. “I’d go with Ben if I were you, Justin.”

Cody stayed silent, probably knowing full well what was going to happen. Justin glanced at Brian and this time took his hand himself. “Thanks, guys. But I’ll go with Brian today.” He looked from one face to another hesitantly. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“You’ll see me alright,” Hunter drawled. “I’m roaming the hell out of this place tomorrow.”

“Actually,” Daphne raised her index finger in the air warningly. “No new regulations are out yet. So I’d wait with that.”

Hunter snorted before he sing-songed: “Boring!” and disappeared out of sight to make a point.

Much later, when all the hugs were exchanged and all the plans were made for tomorrow, Brian found himself with his arm once again around Justin’s waist, them both walking slowly back to the car they left earlier next to Trinity. Twenty-Ninth was nearly empty by now, the streets drenched in morning sunlight; fresh gray air moist and sweet from the recent rain. Brian and Justin barely spoke to each other the whole way, contenting themselves with rare thought exchanges during which they decided that there was certainly no energy in them to look for stir-fry and settled on a takeout. 

“Have you decided what are you going to do after?” Brian asked aloud casually as they approached the car and tapped on his wrist to open the doors for them.  


He wasn’t ready to admit it, but the answer actually bothered him. In fact, have been bothering him for a long while.

Justin sank into the passenger seat and lolled his head against it. He blinked sheepishly a few times, and then closed his eyes with a sigh. “I don’t know. Reintroduce my mom to my sister, perhaps?” he opened his eyes again to dart them at Brian. “What about you?”

Brian looked mindlessly over the dashboard that lit up, AI ready to interact. “No idea. Horvath might reinstate me, but we’ll have to see.” He felt Justin’s hand covering his own, dry and warm and calming, causing a stir of thoughts in his mind. He wanted to say so much, yet wasn’t accustomed to these things. “Justin, I–”

“I know,” Justin smiled softly at him. “Let’s just get home for now, okay?” 

_Home_ , Brian thought, and decided that after all, he got the answer to the question that was subconsciously bothering him this whole time. 

“Welcome back, Lieutenant,” spoke the AI, her sudden cold voice nearly made Brian actually flinch. “Would you want to identify your passenger this time?”

Brian cleared his throat after a short glance at Justin’s anticipating face. “Justin Taylor.” Then he remembered, that he still hasn’t reprogrammed the damned thing and quickly realized that, after all, it ended up being for the best. “And we’re going home.”

End.


End file.
